27 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1,600-year-old Roman-era wine shop unearthed in Greece

A team led by Scott Gallimore of Wilfrid Laurier University and Martin Wells of Austin College discovered a 1,600-year-old Roman-era wine shop in the ancient city of Sikyon in southern Greece, which was destroyed by a sudden event, possibly an earthquake or building collapse.

The discovery includes shattered vessels and a collection of 60 coins scattered on the floor, providing insight into the ancient establishment’s final moments.

The wine shop, situated in the ancient city of Sikyon (Sicyon) on the northern coast of the Peloponnese in southern Greece, operated during the period when the Roman Empire held sway over the region.

As experts investigated the wine shop, they discovered not only coins but also marble tabletops and various vessels made of bronze, glass, and ceramic, according to Live Science.

The archaeological site reveals a complex that housed the wine shop on its northern end. The larger complex featured a series of workshops equipped with kilns and installations designed for pressing grapes or olives.

The archaeological site reveals a complex that housed the wine shop on its northern end. Credit: Scott Gallimore
The archaeological site reveals a complex that housed the wine shop on its northern end. Credit: Scott Gallimore

Despite the abundance of artifacts, the researchers, in an email interview with Live Science, expressed the challenge of pinpointing the specific types of wine sold at the establishment.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any direct evidence of the types of wine that may have been sold. We have some evidence of grape pips (Vitis vinifera), but we aren’t able to say anything more specific than that right now,” Gallimore told Live Science in an email.

Aside from wine, the shop may have sold other products such as olive oil. According to Scott Gallimore, the majority of the coins discovered date back to the Constantius II era, which lasted from 337 to 361. The most recent coin in the collection was minted between 355 and 361.

Two of the coins unearthed at the site. The majority of the coins discovered date back to the reign of Constantius II. Credit: Scott Gallimore
Two of the coins unearthed at the site. The majority of the coins discovered date back to the reign of Constantius II. Credit: Scott Gallimore

The scattered arrangement of these coins on the shop’s floor suggests that they were kept together, possibly in a ceramic container or some form of bag. The destructive event, which led to the abandonment of the wine shop, caused this container to fall and scatter the coins, leaving the establishment in ruins.

The destruction could have been caused by an earthquake or a possible roof collapse caused by environmental factors, such as excessive rainfall, said Gallimore.

The larger complex, including the shop, seems to have been deserted in the early fifth century, potentially around the time of the destructive event.

Cover Photo: The Roman-era wine shop in Greece. Credit: Scott Gallimore

Related Articles

Archaeologists discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in eastern Iran

21 June 2022

21 June 2022

Iranian archaeologists believe they have discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in an eastern Iranian province, which they...

4,000-year-old Snake-Shaped Pottery Handle Found in Taiwan

20 February 2024

20 February 2024

National Tsing Hua University archaeologists in Taiwan have discovered a snake-shaped pottery handle dating back approximately 4000 years. Researchers uncovered...

The oldest ceramic roof tiles ever found in land of Israel may be from Antiochus’ Lost Citadel in Jerusalem

6 December 2023

6 December 2023

The 16 ceramic roof tile fragments, from the Hellenistic period in the second century BCE, were discovered during an archaeological...

Oldest Direct Evidence for Honey Collecting in Africa

18 April 2021

18 April 2021

Honey is an important food source that has been considered a very important healing source in the history of civilizations....

World’s Only Ancient Wooden Twin-Hulled Boats Unearthed in Vietnam

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in Bac Ninh province, northern Vietnam, has brought to light two remarkably well-preserved ancient wooden boats,...

Excavations at Coleshill may rewrite English Civil War history

5 February 2023

5 February 2023

Archaeologists excavating the site of Coleshill Manor in Warwickshire have revealed evidence of what could be one of the first...

The human remains dating back 10,000 years unearthed in Vietnam

15 November 2023

15 November 2023

In Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, skeletal remains dating back 10,000 years have been discovered. This is marking the oldest...

2000-year-old ancient Roman Road, described as the most important in Scottish history, has been discovered

3 November 2023

3 November 2023

A 2000-year-old ancient Roman road was unearthed in Old Inn Cottage’s garden near Stirling, Scotland. The site is located a...

A Remarkable Underground City Discovered Beneath Historic Yazd Homes in Central Iran

26 January 2025

26 January 2025

A remarkable ‘underground city’ was discovered under five historical houses in the ancient town of Abarkuh in Yazd province in...

Archaeologists discovered medieval Bury St Edmunds Abbey ‘Bishop Boy’ token in Norfolk

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

Archaeologists have discovered token in Norfolk in the East of England, dating from between 1470 and 1560, given to the...

Rock tombs dating back 1,800 years have been discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Blaundus

1 October 2021

1 October 2021

In the ancient city of Blaundus, located in the Ulubey neighborhood of the western Anatolian city of Uşak, 400 rock-cut...

Anglo-Saxon monasteries were more resilient to Viking attacks than thought

31 January 2023

31 January 2023

Researchers from the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology have found new evidence that Anglo-Saxon monastic communities were more resistant...

Gold from the ancient cities of Troy, Poliochni, and Ur had the same Origin

3 December 2022

3 December 2022

Using an innovative mobile laser method, scientists determined that gold found in ancient Troy, Poliochini, and Ur had the same...

5500-year-old pentagon structure found in North China

13 November 2021

13 November 2021

Archaeologists discovered the remnants of a pentagonal structure going back 5,500 years in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, north China. According to...

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

18 March 2023

18 March 2023

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Ahead of...