Sustainable Fuel Practices in Roman North Africa and the Contemporary Mediterranean Basin

Mediterranean for centuries. This article will first discuss the extensive use of pomace fuel in Roman
North Africa, introducing and adding the once coastal city of Utica to our growing list of sites with
archaeobotanical evidence for pomace residue. The paper will then focus on the ways in which the
Romans linked olive oil and pottery production. While environmental sustainability was unlikely to
have been one of the Romans’ conscious objectives, the use of this fuel was vital to the continued
production of North African ceramics, particularly in more arid areas. Today, in the face of increasing
energy demands, pomace is once again being recognized as an important and sustainable resource.
More work, however, still needs to be done to improve the efficiency of pomace use. The article will
conclude by highlighting the valuable lessons that can be learned from ancient practices, especially the
efficient pairing of olive cultivation and pottery production.