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Week 1

Week One – Your Questions Answered

Fossa Traiana (on Flickr)   As part of Week Six we are today concentrating on answering questions raised on Week One. As a starting point Simon and I have created a video.   We have also added a video by Katherine where she introduces her research at Ostia and how it relates to Portus.   We have also added some additional cross-references to Hadrian’s Wall course both on the platform and on the blog for those of you who are registered on both. Continue reading →

Simulating Roman Trade Patterns

Figure one ‘Course taken when tracking in to the Wind’ I am a professional software developer and also studying for a PhD part time at the University of Southampton. My main interest at the moment is in the simulation of different routes connecting Portus to the other ports of the Mediterranean – topics discussed way back in Week One of the course e.g. in the Links to Other Ports step. My work uses a combination of computational approaches. Continue reading →

Who were the people who made the amphorae for Portus? The evidence from manufacturing techniques

Fig. 1 Handle of a Tripolitana 2 amphora showing finger indentations An understanding of the manufacturing techniques and of the production sequence in terms of how pots are made provides us with an insight into the people making the ceramics. The clay, the raw material, is a plastic additive medium, allowing for traces of its manipulation by the potters, to be left in the finished ceramic product. Fashioning methods, or manufacturing techniques, used in creating a vessel are usually detectable. Continue reading →