Stanford professor looks underwater for history of the Roman Empire

[Viggen]

Using archeological evidence from shipwrecks and harbors, classics scholar Justin Leidwanger uncovers the story of economic networks during a millennium of classical antiquity. Marine archeology, Leidwanger says, provides a privileged perspective on ancient history.  "There is a lot of theoretical work on the maritime economy of the Roman Empire, but I am interested in the close details of sea travel and how archeological finds can shed light on the history of consumption and connectivity around the Mediterranean," said Leidwanger.  The social networks established by sea travel, Leidwanger says, were the basis of commerce during the Roman Empire, and in the shipwrecks and harbors he is able to see evidence of "who was interacting with whom and how and when these objects were being transported and for what reason."

 

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