SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND—A team of archaeologists led by Southampton University's Simon Keay are embarking on a massive project to study the interconnections between 31 important Roman ports across the Mediterranean, from Turkey to Spain. Focusing on sites dating to the first two centuries A.D., the team will conduct excavations at eight of the most important surviving ports, and will use satellite imagery and already available archaeological data to study another 23. "By studying these networks we aim to gather a wealth of knowledge about how they operated and why – also helping to set in context how trade was conducted in later historical periods and, indeed, today," says Keay.
Surveying the Roman Port Network
News November 5, 2013
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid January/February 2025
Tzintzuntzan, Mexico
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
Bad Moon Rising
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
100-Foot Enigma
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2025
Colonial Companions
-
Features September/October 2013
Tomb of the Vulture Lord
A king’s burial reveals a pivotal moment in Maya history
(© Kenneth Garrett) -
Letter from Norway September/October 2013
The Big Melt
The race to find, and save, ancient artifacts emerging from glaciers and ice patches in a warming world
Courtesy Oppland County Council, Photo: Johan Wildhagen/Palookaville -
Artifacts September/October 2013
Roman Writing Tablet
A tablet bearing a birthday party invite includes the earliest Latin script penned by a woman
(© The Trustees of the British Museum/Art Resource, NY) -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2013
No Changeups on the Savannah
(Private Collection/J.T. Vintage/The Bridgeman Art Library, Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY, Pat Benic/Copyright Bettmann/Corbis/AP Images)