Monte Testaccio is a unique archaeological site. It is a hill made entirely of broken fragments of ancient Roman pottery, or amphorae, that were used to transport and store olive oil and other goods during the Roman Empire. The name is a combination of the Latin name and the Italian name for clay shard: "testa" and "cocci" respectively, and the hill is also called Monte dei Cocci.
The hill, which is over 35 meters high, was formed over a period of several centuries from the 1st to the 3rd century AD. It is estimated that there are over 50 million pieces of pottery on the hill, weighing a total of around 8 million tons.
Pottery came from all over the Mediterranean, and was transported to Rome via the Tiber River.vThe amphorae were usually reused, but the transport vessels for, among other things, olive oil were disposable packages. The olive oil was poured into large clay vessels and the amphora was broken.
In the beginning, the shards were placed randomly. Later, a more controlled manner was introduced, when the shards were placed in terraces. To remove the stench of rotting olive oil, the layers were whitewashed. The lime served as a binding agent for the mound and has preserved writing on the shards. The writing signs are marks from, for example, the oil producers, the shippers and the customs. They were very helpful for studying the economic, bureaucratic and logistical mechanisms of the Roman Empire. From these pottery fragments, researchers have been able to learn about the types of goods that were transported, as well as the trade routes that were used during the Roman Empire.
A Dressel 20 amphora found at Monte Testaccio.
During the Middle Ages, the hill was used for plays and during Easter and religious rituals. In the 16th century, it became a popular spot for shepherds to graze their sheep. In the 17th century, wine cellars were dug around the hill because the shards create a heat exchanger where the airy pile cools the hot summer air and is cooled by the winter air. Some of the shards of the hill have been used as filling materials for construction in the vicinity.
The Testaccio district in 1625, showing Monte Testaccio surrounded by wasteland.
Visitors to Rome can still see Monte Testaccio today, although it is not open to the public. The hill serves as a reminder of the rich history and cultural heritage of Rome, and is an important symbol of the city's ancient past.
