Neue Forschungen zu den Planii und ihren ökonomischen Aktivitäten im republikanischen Hispanien

Abstract

The Roman lead ingots bearing names of entrepreneurs are excellent sources for the economic and social history of Cartagena. An important family of entrepreneurs from the end of the 2nd century until about the middle of the 1st century BC were the Planii. 46 lead ingots from 14 different find spots in the Mediterranean area give impetus to trace their activities over three generations: Lucius Planius was involved in the production (and distribution?) of lead, probably at the end of the 2nd century or around 100 BC; he was followed by his son Lucius Planius Russinus, whose activities can be dated from about 90 to 70 BC. Marcus Planius Russinus was probably the son of the latter, doing business in the second quarter of the 1st century BC. Lead isotope analyses allow to trace their mining activities in south-eastern Spain. The high number of lead isotope data obtained in the context of the »Corpus of Roman Lead Ingots « project now make it possible to distinguish the mining area of the Sierra de las Moreras/ Mazarrón from the Sierra de Cartagena/La Unión. Both Lucius Planius and Lucius Planius Russinus were active in the Sierra de Cartagena, situated east of Cartagena. The latter, however, also started to trade in lead from Mazarrón. The lead of the ingots marked with the name of Marcus Planius Russinus was derived only from mines of the Sierra de las Moreras/Mazarrón.