Lecture tells of Roman wine culture

By: Chris Fort
Contributing Writer

The final archaeological lecture of the 2006 fall semester at Monmouth College featured Myles McCallum, director of the Porta Stabia Project, stationed in Pompeii, Italy, which researches, excavates and surveys the legendary village.

His lecture, entitled “Bacchus on the Bay of Naples,” actually had very little to do with the Roman god of wine, and instead focused on the importance of wine to the ancient Romans and the integral part it held in their society.

Wine comes from a distinct type of grape, according to McCallum, which, when broken open, begins to ferment naturally due to bacteria. While no one knows for sure when or where wine cultivation, or viticulture as it is called, began, it is a safe bet to say it started during the Neolithic Age along the Mediterranean Sea.

The Romans loved everything about wine, from the taste to the production of it. Archaeologists have discovered that the Romans experimented with the flavoring process by putting special ingredients into their wine, ranging from fish sauce to lead powder. To understand the significance wine held in ancient culture, one needs to look no further than the great lengths the Romans took to ship and distribute wine from one corner of their world (Britain) to another (Alexandra).

The ancient Romans were not opposed to the feelings wine evoked, either. They, like the ancient Greeks, would hold symposiums where men would gather to consume wine which helped elicit deep thought and conversation. They would play games and mull over philosophical teachings by Plato for hours on end. However, wine was always the reason for the congregation.

McCallum’s hour-long lecture also included an aesthetically pleasing slide show. It depicted various artifacts ranging from old fresco paintings to crude containers which the Romans used to maintain wine at alternating temperatures. There were also photos of astounding mosaics featured in summer and winter dining halls found in venues all across the Roman Empire. The slide show was a necessary addition to a lecture describing places and objects most attendees had never witnessed before.

An amicable and well-spoken individual, McCallum’s lecture flowed beautifully and was loosened up with comical remarks throughout. Afterward, he left the floor open to questions, of which there were many.

He went on to show photos of his work in Pompeii, Italy, a ruinous city made famous by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. Pompeii was a hotbed for wine cultivation thousands of years ago due to the volcanic soil present there. Today, archaeologists are forming a “reconstruction” of sorts, as they have recreated small vineyards in and around the ancient metropolis. Tourists visiting Pompeii can purchase wine grown from the famous city, made in the style of the ancients. This makes Pompeii a hotbed once more for wine connoisseurs all over the globe.

McCallum’s lecture was an insightful evening for all who heard him speak.