BRICKSTAMP, PORTUS Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHL AN1872.1487.xml Oxford Ashmolean Museum AN1872.1487 AshLI 184 Coll. Ref: 5 Roman catalogue: 369

A fragment of a circular stamp (0.041+). Other examples in CIL XV are orbicular. Brick: 0.056+ 0.106+ 0.043

There are two lines of letters around the edge of the stamp, running in concentric circles. There are small triangular interpuncts in line 1.

0.013-0.014 (outer line); 0.012 (inner line). It was excavated from the ‘palazzo imperiale’ at Portus (Lanciani 1868: p.174; cf. Bloch 1938: p.101 no.14; Thylander 1952: p.434 B386.3), but was wrongly identified as originating from Ostia in the MS. Accessions Register. AD 116 (consular date)

This brickstamp was 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 in store. Photograph Photograph
Marci Rutili Lupi Lamia et Vetere consulibus Brutiana

Brutian product of Marcus Rutilius Lupus. In the consulship of Lamia and Vetus.

EDCS: M(arci) R(utili) L(upi) Lamia et Vetere co(n)s(ulibus) / Brutiana

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.

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 1872.1487 (5); CIL XV.1 no.23,1 (impression sent by Waldstein, but middle missing). (Dressel 1891); Bloch 1938: p.101 no.14; Thylander 1952: p.434 B386.3; Steinby 1978: vol.1, p.50 no.41.

Online: EDCS-30100376 [accessed 10/11/14]

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 and L. Paroli London Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome 18 67-91 Lanciani R.A. 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