Mateusz Żmudziński
Wrocław
MAIN ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC CONTACTS OF NOVAE
(lst-3rd CENTURIES A.D.)
The archaeological research that have already been conducted through many
years at Novae ałłow to approximate the definition of main streams and dynamics
of economic contacts between this camp and regions not directly subject to the
Novae legion and its economic exploitation in the first three centuries A.D.1 As
a main source of information serve objects which were imported to Novae like terra
sigillata vessels,2 lamps,3 mortaria,4 winę and olive amphorae,5 glass,6 details madę
of marble or ąuartz called Hotnitza stone,7 also fillings and jewellery.8 Whereas
objects madę at Novae and sold out to other camps are not known. This could
have been lamps or gems.9 Facing lack of data about production at Novae and
sale to other centres I have decided to concentrate on iiwestigating categories of
commodities imported to Novae, defining directions and means of supply and also
trying to reconstruct dynamics of occurrences.10 Another important source of data
are coin finds. These funds had been flowing in as pay for soldiers. Coins indicate
mints where they had been produced and, indirectly, show changes in a local
monetary market." There are also a few inscriptions concerning persons iuvolved
in an economic activity in that time over Lower Danube, which can contribute to the
research.12
The sources of data mentioned above being complementary let create quite
explicit image of economic contacts of Novae. What seems especially essential is
the information brought by very differentiated, sometimes well-dated, sources to
be mutually confirmed and supplemented.
In the very beginning Novae had been limited only to a camp itself and certainly
to the accompaning canabaed The province which had been established did not
have on its territory big towns except for rather distant, maritime Greek colonies.
Mountains madę the access to them rather difficult. As the military camp constituted
considerable market, the local production could not cover all its needs. This
consumer-type of a new town resulted from funds supply in the form of soldiers'
pay.14 The reasons mentioned above caused Novae to have a very huge demand for
imported commodities. One can notice many imports from Italy and west provinces
in archeological finds from the first century A.D. discovered atNovae. The oldest
Wrocław
MAIN ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC CONTACTS OF NOVAE
(lst-3rd CENTURIES A.D.)
The archaeological research that have already been conducted through many
years at Novae ałłow to approximate the definition of main streams and dynamics
of economic contacts between this camp and regions not directly subject to the
Novae legion and its economic exploitation in the first three centuries A.D.1 As
a main source of information serve objects which were imported to Novae like terra
sigillata vessels,2 lamps,3 mortaria,4 winę and olive amphorae,5 glass,6 details madę
of marble or ąuartz called Hotnitza stone,7 also fillings and jewellery.8 Whereas
objects madę at Novae and sold out to other camps are not known. This could
have been lamps or gems.9 Facing lack of data about production at Novae and
sale to other centres I have decided to concentrate on iiwestigating categories of
commodities imported to Novae, defining directions and means of supply and also
trying to reconstruct dynamics of occurrences.10 Another important source of data
are coin finds. These funds had been flowing in as pay for soldiers. Coins indicate
mints where they had been produced and, indirectly, show changes in a local
monetary market." There are also a few inscriptions concerning persons iuvolved
in an economic activity in that time over Lower Danube, which can contribute to the
research.12
The sources of data mentioned above being complementary let create quite
explicit image of economic contacts of Novae. What seems especially essential is
the information brought by very differentiated, sometimes well-dated, sources to
be mutually confirmed and supplemented.
In the very beginning Novae had been limited only to a camp itself and certainly
to the accompaning canabaed The province which had been established did not
have on its territory big towns except for rather distant, maritime Greek colonies.
Mountains madę the access to them rather difficult. As the military camp constituted
considerable market, the local production could not cover all its needs. This
consumer-type of a new town resulted from funds supply in the form of soldiers'
pay.14 The reasons mentioned above caused Novae to have a very huge demand for
imported commodities. One can notice many imports from Italy and west provinces
in archeological finds from the first century A.D. discovered atNovae. The oldest