Il piombo dell’imperatore: Il relitto di Rena Maiore e le miniere del princeps in età augustea

A significant discovery from the Rena Maiore shipwreck off Sardinia reveals the extent of Roman lead mining and trade during Augustus's reign. The wreck, containing 72 lead ingots and four lead tanks (cistae), provides evidence that lead was both a private commodity and a tool for political consensus under Augustus. The cistae link to workshops in Arles, France, while some ingots bear the stamp 'Augusti Caesaris Germanicum plumbum,' indicating mining sources in Germany—despite territorial losses after the Teutoburg Forest defeat. This suggests Rome's strategic planning of resource exploitation even amid military setbacks.

Genovesi, S. (2018). Il piombo dell’imperatore: Il relitto di Rena Maiore e le miniere del princeps in età augustea. https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407314594