Lamps from the foundation pits (fossae) in the principia of the castrum of Novae

Oil lamps found in foundation pits excavated on the site of the first principia in the Roman fortress of Novae (ŠviŠtov, Bulgaria), built shortly after AD 69, are part of the waste discarded by a legion which manned the site for the previous quarter of a century, starting from AD 45. These lighting devices provide essential information on the supply chain of the legionary camp of Novae before 71, when the pits were ultimately filled. The assemblage illustrates the high quality of the materials sent to the legion, including exclusive imports mainly from Italy and Asia Minor, but also from the Aegean world and South Pannonia. It further underscores the fact that military supply chains in the 1st century AD did not follow the easiest and shorter routes and, as regards lamps, frequently ignored much closer and already active lamp-producing centers.