Let’s start with a few sentences taken from Wikipedia: “Radiocarbon dating is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon (carbon-14, or 14C). […]In nature, carbon exists as three isotopes: two stable, non-radioactive (carbon-12 or 12C), and carbon-13, or 13C), […]
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To further study these trade networks, we may look into shipping, we may distinguish different historical periods, we may search ancient texts … we may study commodities[1], i.e. try to find out from where they come and where they go (mostly to Rome!). A literature survey yielded the following: GOODS ROMAN IMPORTS from: Minerals: […]
Why trade?! In order to provide your country’s consumers with the goods they wish, you need to import some of them and to pay foreign producers for the goods and for their transportation. The required money can be obtained by exporting your own goods and services.Roman individuals could export Roman goods as a return cargo […]
Goods (also called ‘commodities’) have always been shipped either as loose units or as dry or liquid bulk. Ancient units were amphorae, dolia, barrels and sacks that could be placed on a ship, a cart, a camel or a donkey[1]. Until 100 years ago, this cargo, called ‘break bulk’, had to be loaded on board […]
Ptolemy’s work consists of a list of ca. 8000 place names in the Roman Empire of the 2nd c. AD (Stückelberger & Graßhoff, 2006). Each place is located with latitude and longitude aiming at enabling a reconstruction of the complete map of the world he was living in, but it is believed that he probably […]
Humans have been watching the sky for immemorial times. They built astronomical observatories used for setting yearly calendars. This full 3-dimensional view would be the base of a cosmography showing celestial objects and deities. The first description of this kind was provided by Homer on the “great and sturdy shield” made by Hephaestus for Achilles […]
Much discussion has taken place concerning the route when sailing back from the Indian coast, the Somalian and the Yemenite coasts. The southern part of the Red Sea is subject to reversing monsoon winds and sailors could make use of that. However, north of 20° of latitude, the northern winds blow all year round on the Red Sea, […]
Our aim in this section is to compute travel times between various ancient ports (hubs discussed in the section on “Ancient maritime trade”) and to compare different alternative routes between two ports, e.g. Alexandria and Portus, compare both ways to and from each place, and compare seasonal influences. Ancient sea routes have been described by […]
The main sailing routes have been deduced from ancient texts (Arnaud, 2005)[1] and from modern ‘Pilots’ used by yachtsmen. Indeed, the meteorological sailing conditions are considered to be fairly unchanged over the past few millennia. Wind speed and direction are of paramount importance for sailing, as Mediterranean currents play a secondary role and high waves […]
The lateen/settee rig was probably invented in the 2nd c. AD and was widely adopted in the 5th c. AD. This does not mean that square sails were abandoned, as they were still in use on windjammers at the end of merchant sailing in the early 20th c.. Several concepts thus coexisted over very long periods […]