From the Adriatic to the Alps: Transport and Trade Networks in Roman and Late Antique Northern Italy (Archaeopress Roman Archaeology)

During the Roman period, inland regions are often assumed to have been difficult to access, with imports and trade dropping off as distance from the coast increased.Long-distance maritime trade has been the subject of intensive study, but the complex dynamics that governed inland trade have not seen the same level of interest.Within this book, Northern Italy serves as a case study to explore the role transport cost and consumer choice played in the distribution of local and imported goods throughout inland regions.Using three contrasting, quantified datasets of amphorae, finewares, and marble (together forming the Material Data in Northern Italy (MADINI) dataset), chronological and spatial patterns in inland trade are analysed using aoristic analysis and hierarchical clustering.The results demonstrate that inland trade was far more complex than a simple regression of imports as distance from the coast increased.Clear zones of consumption across Northern Italy are seen in the distributi