The roots of culture. The use of ollae perforatae in Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) and the garden as cultural marker of Romanisation

Abstract

A series of ceramic vessels intentionally perforated on the bottom has been found during the archaeological excavation of a rectangular room in via Caprera 8 in Cagliari, in southern Sardinia (Italy), dated to the first half of the 1^st century AD. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate their function as ollae perforatae, perforated planting pots used in the Roman arboriculture and horticulture practices in order to make a garden, and to analyze their cultural significance in relation to the phenomenon of the so-called ‘Romanisation’.