P48
The amphorae and the millstones
The economic and commercial activites of Alba Pompeia are partly known thanks to the finding of
a big quantity of amphorae, containers used for the transport of the foodstuff, both liquid (oil and
wine) and solid (cereals, fish sauce and other sauces). The main parts of the importations came from the Padana Plain, from the Istria and the Adriatic coast, from the Aegen area (especially wine), from the Mediterranean Asia and from the Iberian Peninsula (wine, sauces, garum and oil).
The imported wine covered only partially the local need. The remaining part was satisfied by the
local production. The local wine was probably carried from the countryside to the town into wooden barrels and traded into amphorae.
The agricolture – mainly the cereal growing – is attested by the presence of several parts of the
millstones. These – composed by a fixed lower part and by a wheel as highest part – constituted the
instruments to mill the cereals. The smaller ones were manually exploited, the heavier ones thanks
to the animal help.

1. Manually activated millstone from Pompei
2. Reconstructive hypothesis of the workin of the worked by animals millstones
3. Vulcanic material millstone, worked by animales, from Pompei.