The Calabrian Wine throughout the Mediterranean in Late Antiquity: New Reconstructions

The export of Calabrian wine since the IV century AD until the beginning of VII is clearly documented by the findings of the Keay LII, the most widespread italic amphora in late antiquity. Other sources, numismatic, literary, archaeological (in particular, kilns and millstones) show that the area of Strait of Messina had intensive economic relations with the whole Mediterranean. The known kilns producing Keay LII end their activity within the first half of V century, but the amphoras are attested in various sites in the Mediterranean until the beginning of the VII century. The numismatic datum is consistent with the chronology of the kilns, as well as the literary sources indicate that the Calabrian wine is still renowned in the VI century. After the invasion of the Goths (first decade of IV century), only the Jewish site of Bova Marina seems to maintain economic vitality, leveraging relationships with the Jewish community in Rome. Finally, we propose our interpretation about the distribution of the wine, about the vectors of the Keay LII and about the presence of eastern coins in the area of the Straits of Messina, faced with an export directed especially towards the western Mediterranean.