Preserved Roman Wine Barrels Reveal Ancient Coopers' Art

This morning, my husband sent me this link, Preserved Roman Wine Barrels Reveal Ancient Coopers' Art¹ published in the drinks business. The story begins in 2008 when, as part of an archaeological excavation, three water wells (Pts 378, Pts 354 and Pts 417) were discovered along the right bank of the river Vesle which runs through Reims. The casings of the water wells were actually constructed of reused vats identified as wine barrels dating back to 100-400 AD! The wine barrels were in such an outstanding state of preservation which made it possible to carry out a very faithful reconstruction:²

• each of these barrels was made up of 22 to 25 tapered, 2 meter-long staves
• the barrels contained between 1,000 and 1,200 litres of wine as deduced from the deposits of malic and tartaric acid on the walls of the staves indicative of alcoholic fermentation
• the wood used in their construction was not oak but European silver fir (Abies alba)
• marks left of the surfaces of the staves helped to identify the tools such as the doloire, adze and croze which were used in the shaping of the staves
• all of the hoops were made from hazelnut saplings (Corylus avellana) with a semi-circular section, which were split and cut using a billhook (barrel hoop maker’s tool), then bent and tied
• one of the hoops was fastened with esparto grass (Lygeum spartum) which, unlike the fir and hazelnut, is not native to northern Europe but the Mediterranean
• the barrels had also been sealed in places with pitch, known to be produced in this period by distillation of pine wood
• the wooden surfaces of the three barrels contained over 45 branded or stamped mark, like their modern counterparts, each one of which signified a step in the barrel making process, as well as the route the barrel took once completed

I enjoyed reading the three articles listed in the references below. It made me realize that wine storage in 2021 may not be so different from 100-400 AD!
References:
1. Rupert Millar, Preserved Roman Wine Barrels Reveal Ancient Coopers' Art, the drinks business, January 5, 2021.
2. Pierre Mille et Philippe Rollet, The study of three large barrels excavated at Reims/Durocortorum (Marne): the skills of ancient coopers.
3. Emma Cranston, Gerry Selian, Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Roman Wine Barrels in Champagne, Vinepair, January 6, 2021.