An amphorae warehouse in El Molinete, Carthago Spartaria (Cartagena): a new 7th pottery context in Byzantine Hispania

The archaeological excavations at the foot of the southeast slope of El Molinete (Cartagena, Spain; Hispania Carthaginiensis) are increasing our knowledge about the early Byzantine occupation of Carthago Spartaria. Here, we analyse the abandonment level of a warehouse built into a dismantled and metamorphosed Roman monumental building, the old Iseum. Despite its small dimensions, this warehouse contained 16 amphorae from the Tunisian region, Ibiza or Eastern Mediterranean. This new deposit can be dated to the first quarter of the 7th century. The assemblage emphasizes the close relationship between Hispania and North Africa between 6th and 7th centuries.