Eloise Horsfield
THEY say that wine gets better with age.
But 2,000 years could be a little excessive.
A Roman amphora dating from the first century has been discovered full of wine in Andalucia.
The airtight ceramic container was found after been neglected for over 50 years in a dusty back room of Velez-Malaga Town Hall.
Tests have shown the vat contains between 25 and 30 litres of wine still in ‘perfect condition’ after having been sealed using resin and lime.
The metre-high amphora, due to go on display in a museum dedicated to Velez-Malaga’s past, was originally discovered in the basement of the Beniel Palace in 1960 and is thought to have been destined for Italy during the Roman age.
It comes as a near intact Roman ship was found at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Genova, Italy, with jars of food containing pickled fish, grain, wine and oil.
The merchant vessel sank about 2,000 years ago on her trade route between Spain and central Italy with a full cargo of more than 200 amphorae, one of which is pictured above.
“There are some broken jars around the wreck, but we believe that most of the amphorae inside the ship are still sealed and food filled,” said Lt. Col. Francesco Schilardi, who led the police divers.
Amphorae were used by the Romans for the transport and storage of a wide range of products, but were most commonly associated with wine.
Ornately decorated, they were stored in racks and had a practical design so as to allow them to be tightly packed on ships to avoid breakages during rough seas.
Trying to figure how they tested the wine without breaking the “airtight seal”
? it was discovered for the first time in 1960 in the basement of beniel palace and then again 50 years later in a dusty back room of Velez-Malaga Town Hall ?… what is then the picture , they took it out of the dusty room and brought it to a boat to make a picture or ??? Must be me, but i am lost here