BRICKSTAMP, Portus Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHLI AN1872.1484.xml Oxford Ashmolean Museum AN1872.1484 AshLI 181 Coll. Ref: 2 Roman catalogue: 366

A circular, orbicular brickstamp, with a large orbiculus (0.043) extending into the central section of the stamp (0.10). In the centre is a canine animal (interpreted by Dressel 1891 as a wolf, whilst Lanciani 1868: p.174 considered it to be a dog), walking to the right, with one front paw raised. It seems likely that it should be viewed as a wolf (lupus), punning upon the name of its producer (Bodel 2005). Brick: 0.139+ 0.09+ 0.036

There are two lines of letters (one going around the edge of the stamp, and the other across its centre), with ligatured letters in line 1: ME; AL. About a third of the brickstamp is damaged, but what is extant is clearly legible. Only the top stem of the first T is preserved. For other similar stamps, see AN1872.1482(1), AN1872.1483(1*) (no.365), AN1872.1485(3) (no.367), AN1872.1486(4) (no.368).

 Letters: 0.014-0.015 (line 1); 0.011 (line 2). According to Dressel (1891) and Lanciani (1868: p.174), it was found in the ‘palazzo imperiale’/ ‘imperial palace’ at Portus (cf. Thylander 1952: p.434 B386.2). AD 115 (consular date). This brickstamp is part of a collection of brickstamps from Rome, Ostia, and Portus given to the Ashmolean by J.H. Parker, Keeper of Antiquities in the Ashmolean Museum (1870-84), after a visit to Rome in the winter months of 1871/2. It is currently on display in the Reading and Writing Gallery. Photograph Photograph
Brutiana Marci Rutili Lupi Messalla et Pedone consulibus

Brutian product of Marcus Rutilius Lupus. In the consulship of Messalla and Pedo.

M. Rutilius Lupus is the earliest known owner of the Brutian brickyards (figlinae Brutianae) (Steinby 1974-75: pp.27-28; Bodel 2005), and he is an important figure in the development of the practice of stamping bricks. He is identified with a high-ranking equestrian, annona-prefect (AD 107-112) and then prefect of Egypt (AD 113-117) (PIR2 R252). At this date, the practice of identifying the date of brickstamps by the year’s consuls appears to have been unique to Rutilius Lupus, although it later became common practice for a short time, during the period AD 123-136. The wolf-motif in the centre of the stamp alludes to the Latin word lupus (wolf), clearly alluding to none other than Rutilius Lupus himself. Bodel suggests that these two distinguishing marks (consular date and wolf-motif) were used as a way of tracking brick production during Rutilius Lupus’ four-year absence from Rome in Egypt (Bodel 2005: p.67).

This brickstamp belongs to the first building phase of the so-called ‘imperial palace’ at Portus, a large complex at the centre of the Trajanic harbour installation, which appears to have been constructed in the later years of Trajan’s rule (Keay, Earl, Felici 2011: p.67, 84-86).

Lanciani 1868: p.174; Ashmolean Museum Department of Antiquities MS Accession Register 1872.1484(2); CIL XV.1 no.20, a.1 (impression sent by Waldstein) (Dressel 1891); Bloch 1938: p.101 no.13; Thylander 1952: p.434 B386.2; Steinby 1978: vol.1, p.48 no.34.

Online: EDCS-30100381 [accessed 30/10/14].

Bloch H. 1938 I bolli laterizi e la storia edilizia romana Rome C. Colombo Bodel J. 2005 Speaking signa and the brickstamps of M. Rutilius Lupus Interpretare i bolli laterizi di Roma e della valle del Tevere: produzione, storia economica e topografica C.Bruun Rome Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae 32 61-94 Keay S. Earl G. Felici F. 2011 Excavation and survey at the Palazzo Imperiale 2007-9 Portus and its Hinterland S. Keay L. Paroli London Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome 18 67-91 Lanciani R. 1868 Ricerche topografiche sulla città di Porto Annali dell’ Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica 40 144-95 SteinbyM. 1974-75 La cronologia delle figlinae doliari urbane Bullettino della commissione archeologica comunale di Roma 84 25-132 SteinbyM. 1978 Lateres Signati Ostienses Rome Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae 7.1 Thylander H. 1952 Inscriptions du port d’Ostie Lund Gleerup