Nice interactive map to roman trade routes.

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

http://www.rgzm.de/transportroutes/

It is a german one but very easy to understand. Click on a symbol for terra sigillata or a amphore on the map and you will see all the places they were found. If you look at the table in the lefter corner you can choose a production place and select another place were it can be traded. If you do this you can see the route and how high the transportation costs were. The costs were counted in a relation of 1:5:28 (Sea, Rivers, Land) and some other factors.

[Encino_Man]

That's pretty cool.

[Sicknero]

Fantastic Thanks for sharing.

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

Its just the first step, other ressources will follow.

[Sicknero]

Its just the first step, other ressources will follow.

You made the map yourself..?

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

No, a friend of me who works at the germanic-roman-centralmuseum (mainz/mogontiacum) is involved in this project together with the University of Reading (UK).

[Rinan]

I'm a bit confused. All these goods are mostly found in the Gallia/Britannia/the northern limes. I expected to see a lot more of them in Italy/Rome, assuming that Rome is a centre of consumption.
But interesting to see how Gaul and Britannia seem economically integrated. (Many goods that are found en masse throughout Gaul are also found in Britannia, like the Sigillata from Lezoux)

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

It's a project of the provincial roman archaeology and rome is more focused by the classic archaeology. Furthermore are finds in the provinces in general better than in italy. I know that italian ceramic was traded to Noricum and the alpine provinces, in university our profs are of the opinion that the germanic provinces had more products from Gaul and Spain, most likely because the routes on the rivers were better and cheaper from there to the germanic provinces.

[Rinan]

It's a project of the provincial roman archaeology and rome is more focused by the classic archaeology. Furthermore are finds in the provinces in general better than in italy. I know that italian ceramic was traded to Noricum and the alpine provinces, in university our profs are of the opinion that the germanic provinces had more products from Gaul and Spain, most likely because the routes on the rivers were better and cheaper from there to the germanic provinces.

So probably the ceramics made in Gaul were mostly traded in that area and to Germania? Probably Rome bought its ceramics mostly from nearby Italian/Roman craftsmen. Or perhaps more exotic products from the East, for the rich. That'd make sense.
Recently read that the greatest part of trade in antiquity was short-distance. Makes sense. It's not really profitable to ship some pottery over the entire empire in a horse-drawn cart.

[Diglytron]

Quite awsome. Thanks.

[René Artois]

Do the coloured dots show where examples of the pottery selected have been found?

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

Yes they do.

[René Artois]

Thanks, this is a cool map.

[DAVIDE]

Interesting. Had a good read. I'm back!

[Gaius Baltar]

Interesting comparison to the interactive travel map for the Roman world.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...4#post11447674

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

Interesting comparison to the interactive travel map for the Roman world.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...4#post11447674

Thx also a nice map. After trying some things i was a little bit disappointed by one fact. While traveling from Rome in to the east by ship is relativ easy, we have reports by several authors about traveling, that the journy from east to west is difficult. You have basicly if you take the northern route, than is is difficult to make the jump from greek directly to italy. Ancient ships had no oar in the modern way and so they often passed italy and sicilty to malta or even africa before they could travel to the passage of massena with better winds.