For Pompeii, 19 Tunisian amphorae from the Granai del Foro were chosen for contents analysis, comprising a wide range of late Republican-1st c. AD forms from Africa Proconsularis, with fabrics indicating origins in North Tunisia (two ovoid africaines anciennes – formerly classified as ‘Early Tripolitanian’ amphorae-, as well as five Dr 26, ten Ostia LIX and three Panella 1977, fig. 33a.b) (Pecci et al. 2021). For the earliest, africaines anciennes, production sites have recently been identified both to the west of Carthage (at Mnhila: together with Maña C2 amphorae) and at port of Utica, the first capital of the province, until the establishment of the Augustan colony at Carthage (Ben Jerbannia 2013, 2018).

 
Though these amphorae were expected to contain olive oil, and thus represent precursors of the major oil exports of the Imperial period, all bore traces of wine residues as well as vegetal oils (oil, probably olive, in most cases, non-olive oil in some). None bore traces of pitch lining (Pecci et al. 2021, Tabella 2). These results could indicate that the amphorae were either re-used or contained olives in vinegar. Work by A. Pecci on floors associated with presses, suggests that olives that were not pressed could still leave traces of olive oil. The project is currently investigating this aspect further, through experimental analyses.

In the case of La Longarina (Ostia), six north Tunisian Africaines Anciennes (of Augustan date) were analysed, suggesting that wine was the content of the amphorae (For the context of these amphorae, see Contino 2015; Contino et al. 2019). The results have been presented in the 43rd International Symposium on Archaeometry conference (Lisbon, May 2022: Pecci et al. forthcoming).

 
Note that the analyses carried out from sampling neck, body and base fragments in Pompeii led to similar results, which suggests that it is possible to achieve results from sampling neck fragments, broadening the category of fragment type acceptable for sampling than hitherto had been supposed.