In France, a mission from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) in the southeast of the country unearthed a Roman sanctuary that contained various artifacts, including a legionnaire's flask.
The opening is reported on the INRAP website. It was made in the commune of Annecy in the historic region of Savoy. The most ancient structures found at the surveyed archaeological site date back to the first half of the 1st century AD. A farm was probably built here at that time. It was located by the road, which was actively used until the middle of the 4th century.
The study of this route helped scientists find seven burials dating back to the second half of the 1st century AD. Near them were found the remains of a sanctuary from the Roman period. It consisted of two or three ritual structures. Only the remains of their stone foundations have survived.
Also, archaeologists have discovered 42 pits, which contained various items of a religious nature. In one of them a well-preserved flask of a Roman legionary was found. She was included in the standard equipment of the soldiers of the empire.
This flask was made from an alloy of iron and copper. Previously, only two such artifacts were found in Gaul. The Roman flask was very similar to modern flasks. It had a cylindrical body with two corrugated iron shells. It had a wide neck, which was tightly closed with a lid. The latter was attached to the handle of the flask with a wire chain.
Analysis showed that the flask did not contain alcoholic beverages. But was it filled with ordinary water? Scientists have noticed that the flask is equipped with a lock. Consequently, more valuable products, such as milk, could be stored in it.
Inside the flask, the remains of organic matter remained, which were subjected to laboratory analysis. He indicated that there was some strange mixture in the flask. It consisted of millet mixed with a small amount of berries and dairy products.
In addition, a small amount of coniferous resin was found in the composition and some plant rich in oleanolic acid, which could not be identified.
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Archaeologists do not exclude that some kind of elixir, brewed specifically for the ritual ceremony, could have been poured into the flask. This is also indicated by the fact that the flask was placed in a tightly closed pit. Perhaps it was an offering to the gods.
