Distribution patterns of Gaza wine vs. Cilician wine in the eastern Mediterranean in Late Antiquity.

Inna Kizhner,  Gil Gambash,  Guy Bar-Oz, and Gideon Avni

From Levant, 56: 408-424 (2024).

To explore the consumption patterns and demand for famous wines exported in Late Antiquity, such as Gaza wine and Cilician wine, several case studies were analyzed: studies involving excavation results from sites where Late Roman amphorae, such as the LRA 1 and LRA 4 types, were found. Several themes emerged from the analysis. First, Gaza jars used for the transportation of Gaza wine seem to be less frequent than LRA 1 amphorae used to transport Cilician wine. Second, Gaza jars were more frequent in administrative and religious centres and sometimes even exceeded the number of vessels used for Cilician wine in the socio-economic contexts of major administrative centres. It is anticipated that such analysis and exploratory study will start a re-examination of the social and economic status of eastern wines. The limitations of the methods used in this research, due to the methodological difficulties of quantitative analysis given different methodologies used by the authors of excavation reports, is also considered.

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The Kissufim Floor Mosaic from the 6th century CE depicts a camel carrying amphorae, resembling numerous Gaza jars discovered in the refuse middens of Elusa, an ancient city in the Negev desert.

Map of the Mediterranean showing locations of sites with Late Roman amphorae (LRA 4 and LRA 1) discussed as case studies for this article.