Strauss, EJ; (2007) Roman Cargoes: Underwater Evidence from the Eastern Mediterranean. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The study of marine archaeology is fast becoming one of the more important primary sources in connection with the research into patterns of movements of goods during the Roman period; it can help shed light on a number of questions regarding the use of simple and compound cargoes, for example, or the comparison between the distribution and location of wrecked cargoes and the finds on land in terms of production and consumption of goods and supplies. The main body of this work is the database of wrecks that were carrying products from the Eastern Mediterranean. The time span I have used for the wrecks (300 BC-AD 250) covers the rise of the Roman Empire up to and including its height; few areas remained self-sufficient, and as cities grew, especially of course Rome with possibly one million inhabitants, demand also grew, not only for foodstuffs, but also for building materials and luxury goods. In the first two centuries AD, during which time the Romans ruled a fairly trouble-free and politically stable empire, the possibilities for long-distance transport of goods seemed limitless. Trading relationships developed too with regions as far east as India. The finds from the shipwrecks reflect this growth in the movement of commodities in terms of their contents and quantities; and analysis of the locations of these wrecks may shed light on patterns differing from those already known. Another aspect to be considered is the state's involvement in the movement of these goods - did the government actively promote transport of merchandise for their own fiscal benefit? The use of underwater archaeology may not only enhance, but possibly also challenge, what has already been learnt from archaeology on land and literary and epigraphic sources.

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