The Port of Berenike Troglodytica on the Red Sea : a landscape-based approach to the study of its harbour and its role in Indo-Mediterranean trade
The port site of Berenike Troglodytica - located on the Egyptian Red Sea coast - served the spice and incense routes that linked the Mediterranean World (specifically the Roman Empire) to India, Southern Arabia and East Africa. In the Greco-Roman period the site was at the cutting edge of what was then the embryonic global economy, ideally situated as a key node connecting Indian Ocean and Mediterranean trade for almost 800 years. It is now located in an arid, marginal, hostile environment but the situation must have been very different 2300 years ago, at the time of its founding. At the time of elephant-hunting trips during the Hellenistic period before the inception of its important role in the global markets of the day in the Roman period Berenike would have to have looked much different to what we can now imagine. What was it like then, when the first prospectors visited this location at the time of Ptolemy II? Why this particular place, and this particular landscape setting seemed such a propitious location for the siting of an important new harbour? Given the importance of the port over almost a millennium it is perhaps surprising that very little is known about the different factors impacting on the
Kotarba-Morley, Anna Maria
Roman Archaeology ; Maritime Archaeology ; Archaeological Science ; Archaeology ; Roman seafaring ; Landscape Archaeology ; Ptolemaic period ; Harbour geoarchaeology ; Indian Ocean trade ; Periplus Maris Erythraei ; Roman Egypt ; ports of trade ; Spice Route ; Indo-Roman trade ; Ancient ports ; Red Sea coast ; Parameters of attractiveness ; Sea level change ; Berenike Troglodytica
The Port of Berenike Troglodytica on the Red Sea : a landscape-based approach to the study of its harbour and its role in Indo-Mediterranean trade. The port site of Berenike Troglodytica - located on the Egyptian Red Sea coast - served the spice and incense routes that linked the Mediterranean World (specifically the Roman Empire) to India, Southern Arabia and East Africa. In the Greco-Roman period the site was at the cutting edge of what was then the embryonic global economy, ideally situated as a key node connecting Indian Ocean and Mediterranean trade for almost 800 years. It is now located in an arid, marginal, hostile environment but the situation must have been very different 2300 years ago, at the time of its founding. At the time of elephant-hunting trips during the Hellenistic period before the inception of its important role in the global markets of the day in the Roman period Berenike would have to have looked much different to what we can now imagine. What was it like then, when the first prospectors visited this location at the time of Ptolemy II? Why this particular place, and this particular landscape setting seemed such a propitious location for the siting of an important new harbour? Given the importance of the port over almost a millennium it is perhaps surprising that very little is known about the different factors impacting on the
port red_sea landscape based study harbour role indo mediterranean trade port site locate egyptian red_sea coast serve route link mediterranean_world specifically roman_empire india southern arabia east_africa greco_roman period site cut edge global economy ideally situate key node connect indian ocean mediterranean trade locate arid marginal hostile environment situation must different time founding time elephant hunting trip hellenistic_period inception important_role global market day roman_period would look much different imagine like first visit location time particular place particular landscape_setting seem location sit important new harbour given importance port almost millennium perhaps surprising little_known different factor_impact