The presence of a dolium in the northern turret of Deultum’s western gate raises immediate questions.

Gate towers were military structures, not storage facilities.

The dolium had either been installed there for some specific purpose that departed from the turret’s original function, or it had been brought there during the emergency — though moving a large dolium is not a trivial undertaking, given its size and weight.

One possibility is that the turret had been converted to mixed use in the declining years of the Roman occupation — military urgency giving way to practical improvisation, the city making do with the infrastructure it had.

Another possibility is that goods were actively moved into the defensive structure during the crisis, as residents sought to protect valuable supplies.