- OFFICE:
Department of Classics
450 Serra Mall, Main Quad
Building 110
Stanford, CA 94305-2145
LAB:
Archaeology Center
488 Escondido Mall
Building 500, MC 2170
Stanford, CA 94305-2145
Justin Leidwanger
Stanford University, Classics, Faculty Member
- Stanford University, Archaeology Center, Faculty Memberadd
- Maritime Archaeology, Roman Economy, Ancient Networks, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Pottery (Archaeology), Archaeological GIS, and 72 moreClassical Archaeology, Classics, Ancient Shipwrecks, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Cyprus, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Economic archaeology, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Ancient Seafaring, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Ancient Ports and Harbours, Late Roman Amphorae, Amphorae (Archaeology), Ancient economy, Roman Pottery, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, Cyprus Studies, Late Antiquity, Late Antique Archaeology, Economic History, Marine and Fisheries Policy, Sustainable Development, New Economic Sociology, Economic Sociology, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, Roman social and economic history, Network Analysis, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, Cypriot Archaeology, Harbour Archaeology, Roman Amphorae, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Pottery, Maritime Cultural Landscape and Seascapes, Roman Archaeology, Ceramic Petrography, Hellenistic Pottery, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancient Caria, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Network analysis in archaeology, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Ancient roman marble, Roman engineering, Connectivity, Roman Sicily, Ceramics (Archaeology), Spatial analysis (Archaeology), Ancient Sicily, Late Roman Sicily, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Cross-cultural interaction (Archaeology), Greek Pottery, Ancient Metrology, Maritime History, Sicily, Mediterranean, Economic Anthropology, Human Geography, Human Rights, History of the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Studies, 3d Modeling, 3D Laser Scanning (Archaeology), 3d Reconstructions in Archaeology, Digital Archaeology, Digital Photogrammetry applied to Archaeology, and Economic Geographyedit
- I am an Associate Professor in Stanford's Department of Classics and faculty at the Stanford Archaeology Center. Beyo... moreI am an Associate Professor in Stanford's Department of Classics and faculty at the Stanford Archaeology Center. Beyond Stanford, I am a Fellow of the Penn Cultural Heritage Center, a Consulting Scholar of the Mediterranean Section at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and Affiliated Faculty of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. My work focuses on Mediterranean mobilities, maritime communities, and systems of exchange. Shipwrecks and port sites, especially in southeast Sicily and southwest Turkey, are central to exploring these themes in the field, providing evidence for connections and the long-term dynamics of communities situated amid the economically, socially, and politically changing worlds from the rise of Rome through late antiquity.
Between 2013 and 2019, I led investigations of the early 6th-century “church wreck” at Marzamemi (Sicily), which sank while carrying nearly 100 tons of marble architectural elements. Work continues through underwater survey, 3D analysis, and publication as well as immersive heritage initiatives in the local Museum of the Sea and associated pop-up exhibits and dive trails. Project 'U Mari extends this collaborative field research in southeast Sicily, interrogating the heritage of diverse but co-dependent interactions with and across the sea that have long defined the central Mediterranean and offer a resource for deeper engagement with the past and sustainable future development. Building on survey since 2017, the project’s newest work examines socioeconomic dynamics spanning 2500 years of tuna fishing through maritime landscape archaeology and documentation of fading material culture and traditional knowledge of the mattanza. Our efforts simultaneously foreground heritage activism through community-based archaeology of the spaces, materialities, and memories of contemporary journeys of forced and undocumented migration across the central Mediterranean.
At Stanford, I teach courses and advise students on topics in Hellenistic, Roman, and late antique archaeology, economies and interaction, port networks, ceramic production and exchange, and Greco-Roman architecture and engineering. My lab at the Archaeology Center serves as a fieldwork base and resource for digital modeling (structured light scanning, laser scanning, photogrammetry, GIS, network analysis) and pottery analysis (petrography, pXRF, computational morphological analysis). One of my current projects, a book-length study titled "Fluid Technologies: Standardization, Efficiency, and the Roman Maritime Economy," arises from various threads of this research with students in the field, lab, and museum, analyzing transport amphoras, port infrastructure, and other clues to ancient technologies of distribution.edit
This paper takes an energetics-based approach in reexamining the cargo of the famous Marzamemi 2 shipwreck as evidence for the maritime transport of architectural stone and the logistics of religious building projects during Late... more
This paper takes an energetics-based approach in reexamining the cargo of the famous Marzamemi 2 shipwreck as evidence for the maritime transport of architectural stone and the logistics of religious building projects during Late Antiquity. Drawing on recent discoveries at the site alongside re-assessment of previous finds, it aims to reconstruct the labor investment represented by the partial pre-fabrication of individual components and cargo as a whole, and to contextualize this within a broad understanding of the later ancient stone trade. First, a new inventory of architectural elements and liturgical furnishings from the site is provided. The traces of carving on these elements are then assessed in order to calculate the labor involved in their production. Comparison of this investment to labor costs visible in earlier Roman and contemporary shipwreck cargoes reveals the Marzamemi assemblage as particularly large and ornate-representing perhaps more than 50,000 person-hours-but otherwise typical for the staging of building shipments during the period. These results highlight the significance of the Marzamemi 2 shipwreck within studies of sixth-century CE architectural patronage and trade in decorative stone, while also demonstrating a new application of architectural energetics methodologies to the logistics of complex building programs.
Research Interests:
Project 'U Mari examines the long-term relationship between the sea, coast, and local peoples through the various lenses of maritime mobilities, interactions, and livelihoods along the shore of southeast Sicily, specifically between the... more
Project 'U Mari examines the long-term relationship between the sea, coast, and local peoples through the various lenses of maritime mobilities, interactions, and livelihoods along the shore of southeast Sicily, specifically between the Vendicari Reserve and Capo Passero. With an eye toward valorizing the 'mattanza' as intangible cultural heritage, our work focuses on the rich material remains of this distinctive Mediterranean form of bluefin tuna trap fishing, using 3D recording and visualization of its associated objects, spaces, and landscapes to relate vivid diachronic stories for the public. Our methodology integrates archaeological survey of the landscape, architecture, and social practices of tuna fishing that act as a bridge between ancient, early modern, and contemporary livelihoods. Through comprehensive digitization, we generate interoperable and parametric models aimed not only at the recording and restoration of objects and spaces, but also-in combination with interviews and archival work-at the valorization and revitalization of traditional practice within contemporary socioeconomic contexts. Through these digital methods, Project 'U Mari seeks to engage the public with a deeper understanding of historical maritime lifeways using exhibition, virtual environments, and revived traditions. Such an approach can encourage environmentally sound fishing practices that draw on local knowledge and yield local economic benefits and responsible tourism. In this way, the historic and archaeological past offers the opportunity to create a new common language for understanding and communicating the architectural evidence of local traditions, history, and livelihoods in this rich maritime landscape.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Vernacular Architecture, Cultural Heritage Management, Intangible Cultural Heritage (Culture), and 7 moreUnderwater Archaeology, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, 3D modelling cultural heritage, Sicily, Ancient Fishing, Archaeological Musealization, and Industrial Archaeology and Heritage
Leidwanger, J., E.S. Greene and A. Donnelly. "The Sixth-Century CE Shipwreck at Marzamemi." American Journal of Archaeology 125.2: 283-317. Between 2013 and 2019, collaborative survey and excavation were carried out on the sixth-century... more
Leidwanger, J., E.S. Greene and A. Donnelly. "The Sixth-Century CE Shipwreck at Marzamemi." American Journal of Archaeology 125.2: 283-317.
Between 2013 and 2019, collaborative survey and excavation were carried out on the sixth-century CE shipwreck at Marzamemi, in southeast Sicily, originally explored by Gerhard Kapitän in the 1960s. The vessel sank while carrying a primary cargo of nearly 100 tons of extensively prefabricated architectural materials, at least some intended for a church. New finds raise questions about the prevailing narrative of the wreck as em-blematic of a stagnating Late Antique economy, revived only briefly by Justinian. Large but uneven numbers of worked stone elements complicate assumptions regarding their employment as a single set, while additional decorative materials suggest networks of artistry and agency that transcend a single journey. A smaller secondary cargo of am-phoras, along with galley wares and other finds, reveals the extended commercial webs of this merchant vessel and its sailors. Considered together, the assemblage highlights the interdependence and blurring of boundaries between high-end and more mundane exchange. This report offers a new reading of the well-known Late Antique wreck and a more nuanced evaluation of the goods, people, and processes that tied together the Mediterranean during a transformative period toward the end of the Roman empire era. 1
Between 2013 and 2019, collaborative survey and excavation were carried out on the sixth-century CE shipwreck at Marzamemi, in southeast Sicily, originally explored by Gerhard Kapitän in the 1960s. The vessel sank while carrying a primary cargo of nearly 100 tons of extensively prefabricated architectural materials, at least some intended for a church. New finds raise questions about the prevailing narrative of the wreck as em-blematic of a stagnating Late Antique economy, revived only briefly by Justinian. Large but uneven numbers of worked stone elements complicate assumptions regarding their employment as a single set, while additional decorative materials suggest networks of artistry and agency that transcend a single journey. A smaller secondary cargo of am-phoras, along with galley wares and other finds, reveals the extended commercial webs of this merchant vessel and its sailors. Considered together, the assemblage highlights the interdependence and blurring of boundaries between high-end and more mundane exchange. This report offers a new reading of the well-known Late Antique wreck and a more nuanced evaluation of the goods, people, and processes that tied together the Mediterranean during a transformative period toward the end of the Roman empire era. 1
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Late Roman Empire, Late Roman Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, and 11 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Glass, Roman Sicily, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Sicily, Late Roman Amphorae, and Maritime trade
Leidwanger, J. 2020. Roman Seas: A Maritime Archaeology of Eastern Mediterranean Economies. New York: Oxford University Press. That seafaring was fundamental to Roman prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean is beyond doubt, but a... more
Leidwanger, J. 2020. Roman Seas: A Maritime Archaeology of Eastern Mediterranean Economies. New York: Oxford University Press.
That seafaring was fundamental to Roman prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean is beyond doubt, but a tendency by scholars to focus on the grandest long-distance movements between major cities has obscured the finer and varied contours of maritime interaction. This book offers a nuanced archaeological analysis of maritime economy and connectivity in the Roman east. Drawing together maritime landscape studies and network analysis, Roman Seas takes a bottom-up view of the diverse socioeconomic conditions and seafaring logistics that generated multiple structures and scales of interaction. The material record of shipwrecks and ports along a vital corridor from the southeast Aegean across the northeast Mediterranean provides a case study of regional exchange and communication based on routine sails between simple coastal harbors. Rather than a single well-integrated and persistent Mediterranean network, multiple discrete and evolving regional and interregional systems emerge.
This analysis sheds light on the cadence of economic life along the coast, the development of market institutions, and the regional continuities that underpinned integration-despite imperial fragmentation-between the second century BCE and the seventh century CE. Roman Seas advances a new approach to the synthesis of shipwreck and other maritime archaeological and historical economic data, as well as a path through the stark dichotomies -- either big commercial voyages or small-scale cabotage -- that inform most paradigms of Roman connectivity and trade. The result is a unique perspective on ancient Mediterranean trade, seafaring, cultural interaction, and coastal life.
That seafaring was fundamental to Roman prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean is beyond doubt, but a tendency by scholars to focus on the grandest long-distance movements between major cities has obscured the finer and varied contours of maritime interaction. This book offers a nuanced archaeological analysis of maritime economy and connectivity in the Roman east. Drawing together maritime landscape studies and network analysis, Roman Seas takes a bottom-up view of the diverse socioeconomic conditions and seafaring logistics that generated multiple structures and scales of interaction. The material record of shipwrecks and ports along a vital corridor from the southeast Aegean across the northeast Mediterranean provides a case study of regional exchange and communication based on routine sails between simple coastal harbors. Rather than a single well-integrated and persistent Mediterranean network, multiple discrete and evolving regional and interregional systems emerge.
This analysis sheds light on the cadence of economic life along the coast, the development of market institutions, and the regional continuities that underpinned integration-despite imperial fragmentation-between the second century BCE and the seventh century CE. Roman Seas advances a new approach to the synthesis of shipwreck and other maritime archaeological and historical economic data, as well as a path through the stark dichotomies -- either big commercial voyages or small-scale cabotage -- that inform most paradigms of Roman connectivity and trade. The result is a unique perspective on ancient Mediterranean trade, seafaring, cultural interaction, and coastal life.
Research Interests:
The contributions to this thematic issue of "HEROM: Journal on Hellenistic and Roman Material Culture" examine the economic development of the Knidian peninsula in southwest Anatolia through the lens of its distinctive transport amphoras.... more
The contributions to this thematic issue of "HEROM: Journal on Hellenistic and Roman Material Culture" examine the economic development of the Knidian peninsula in southwest Anatolia through the lens of its distinctive transport amphoras. The production, distribution, and consumption of Knidian wine jars shed light on the interplay between external maritime connections and internal networks of settlement and agriculture, offering an opportunity to understand local and regional dynamics within the context of increasing cosmopolitanism of the Hellenistic and Roman eastern Mediterranean.
Research Interests: Hellenistic History, Anatolian Archaeology, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 8 moreAncient Agriculture & Farming (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Ancient economy, Hellenistic Pottery, Ancient Caria, Stamped Amphora handles, Roman Amphorae, and Maritime trade
This volume brings together scholars of Mediterranean archaeology, ancient history, and complexity science to advance theoretical approaches and analytical tools for studying maritime connectivity. For the coast-hugging populations of the... more
This volume brings together scholars of Mediterranean archaeology, ancient history, and complexity science to advance theoretical approaches and analytical tools for studying maritime connectivity. For the coast-hugging populations of the ancient Mediterranean, mobility and exchange depended on a distinct environment and technological parameters that created diverse challenges and opportunities, making the modeling of maritime interaction a paramount concern for understanding cultural interaction more generally. Network-inspired metaphors have long been employed in discussions of this interaction, but increasing theoretical sophistication and advances in formal network analysis now offer opportunities to refine and test the dominant paradigm of connectivity. Extending from prehistory into the Byzantine period, the case studies here reveal the potential of such network approaches. Collectively they explore the social, economic, religious, and political structures that guided Mediterranean interaction across maritime space.
Research Interests: Classical Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Social Networks, Mediterranean prehistory, Social Network Analysis (SNA), and 8 moreHistory of the Mediterranean, Mediterranean archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Ancient Seafaring, Connectivity, Ancient Ports and Harbours, and Roman Archaeology
In 2007 a symposium was held at Texas A&M University to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Texas A&M University Press’s publication of the first volume reporting the Yassiada shipwreck site. Seventeen papers from that symposium... more
In 2007 a symposium was held at Texas A&M University to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Texas A&M University Press’s publication of the first volume reporting the Yassiada shipwreck site. Seventeen papers from that symposium featured in this book broadly illustrate such varied topics as ships and seafaring life, maritime trade, naval texts, commercial cargoes, and recent developments in the analysis of the Yassiada ship itself.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Roman Pottery, Late Roman Empire, and 14 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Pottery, Roman Amphorae, Late Roman Amphorae, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Ancient Seafaring, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Maritime trade
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Clustered along its sinuous shores, the inhabitants of the ancient Mediterranean harnessed the power and potential of the sea to widely varying degrees. For the Roman era, considerable emphasis has been placed on the expansive port... more
Clustered along its sinuous shores, the inhabitants of the ancient Mediterranean harnessed the power and potential of the sea to widely varying degrees. For the Roman era, considerable emphasis has been placed on the expansive port networks and large‑scale directed exchange that linked cities across its tamed waters, yet the extent and practical impact of direct maritime access and opportunity beyond urban centers remains a critical question for a population that was still overwhelmingly rural. Using Cyprus as a case study, this paper incorporates GIS‑based analysis of marine and terrestrial topography as a means of exploring the spatial patterning of settlements and activity areas, providing a clearer picture of how simple coastal facilities and easy mobility on and around the island allowed for a distinctively regional scale of maritime economic activity. Centered around what might be considered generally as coastal landing sites, the rise in exchange, fishing, and probably market activities during the Roman (ca. 50 BCE–350 CE) and especially the late Roman (350–700 CE) period suggest that new maritime opportunities counterbalanced the earlier social and economic centrality of the island’s cities, and in doing so restructured the rhythms of rural economic prosperity and connectivity.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cypriot Archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Cyprus, Late Roman Archaeology, and 8 moreArchaeological Methodology, Underwater Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, Ports, Ancient Ports and Harbours, and Roman Archaeology
Leidwanger, J., S. Pike, and A.J. Donnelly. 2018. "Revisiting the Origin and Destination of the Late Antique Marzamemi ‘Church Wreck’ Cargo." In ASMOSIA XI: Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone. Proceedings of the XI ASMOSIA... more
Leidwanger, J., S. Pike, and A.J. Donnelly. 2018. "Revisiting the Origin and Destination of the Late Antique Marzamemi ‘Church Wreck’ Cargo." In ASMOSIA XI: Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone. Proceedings of the XI ASMOSIA Conference, Split 2015, edited by D.M. Poljak and K. Marasović, 291-299. Split: University of Split.
Initially explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän in the 1960s, the famous 6th-c. AD ‘church wreck’ at Marzamemi (Sicily)—with its cargo of prefabricated religious architectural elements—holds a special place in discussions of the ancient stone transport and late antique exchange. Renewed investigations aim to shed light on the broader socioeconomic and historical circumstances surrounding the shipment, including patterns of maritime connectivity between the divergent east and west and the possible roles of imperial agency and local patronage in ambitious architectural programs. Critical to these questions are the origin and destination for the cargo. Stable isotope analysis offers a window into the geographic range of resources available for this architectural program and, by extension, possible clues to the organization of materials, labor, and sponsorship. Analysis of the historical and architectural context allows evaluation of plausible destinations. This study opens new possibilities for interpreting the social and political world of 6th-century exchange and a re-evaluation of the multifaceted relationship between Justinian and the recently acquired imperial lands.
Initially explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän in the 1960s, the famous 6th-c. AD ‘church wreck’ at Marzamemi (Sicily)—with its cargo of prefabricated religious architectural elements—holds a special place in discussions of the ancient stone transport and late antique exchange. Renewed investigations aim to shed light on the broader socioeconomic and historical circumstances surrounding the shipment, including patterns of maritime connectivity between the divergent east and west and the possible roles of imperial agency and local patronage in ambitious architectural programs. Critical to these questions are the origin and destination for the cargo. Stable isotope analysis offers a window into the geographic range of resources available for this architectural program and, by extension, possible clues to the organization of materials, labor, and sponsorship. Analysis of the historical and architectural context allows evaluation of plausible destinations. This study opens new possibilities for interpreting the social and political world of 6th-century exchange and a re-evaluation of the multifaceted relationship between Justinian and the recently acquired imperial lands.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Roman Economy, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, and 15 moreLate Roman Archaeology, Late Antique Religion, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Roman Trade Networks, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Marble Provenance, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Roman Marble Quarries, The Use of Marble and Other Stones, Connectivity, and Ancient Roman Marbles
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Underwater Archaeology, Roman Trade Networks, and 10 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Ancient Sicily, Sicily, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
Research Interests:
Justin Leidwanger, Robert Van de Noort, Thomas Tartaron, Barbara J Mills, Elizabeth S. Greene, Paul Arthur, Tim Evans, Tom Brughmans, Emma Blake, Pascal ARNAUD, and Carl Knappett, "A manifesto for the study of ancient Mediterranean maritime networks," Antiquity 342, December 2014 (Project Gallery)more
Research Interests:
– 3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy... more
– 3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy of such models makes them attractive and useful for a wide range of purposes. The present paper focuses mainly on the combined use of 3D survey techniques of small and medium objects, using the conventional scanner Artec, with ScubaLibre, a 3D stereoscopic scanner system developed by the Suor Orsola Benincasa University team. This paper presents the results obtained during the underwater excavation of a ship that sank near Marzamemi, southeast Sicily, in the 6th century AD. The data collected and processed offers the basis for new analysis of contexts and artifacts found and the development of new forms of musealization of cultural heritage through innovative technologies for augmented reality and immersive environments.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cypriot Archaeology, Cyprus Studies, Late Antiquity, Cyprus, and 10 moreLate Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient economy, Ancient Shipwrecks, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Pottery, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
By combining underwater survey with formal and compositional study of ceramics, recent work at Burgaz (SW Turkey) reveals a late 6th- or 7th-century assemblage of wine and perhaps other agricultural products carried in LR1 and LR2-related... more
By combining underwater survey with formal and compositional study of ceramics, recent work at Burgaz (SW Turkey) reveals a late 6th- or 7th-century assemblage of wine and perhaps other agricultural products carried in LR1 and LR2-related amphoras. Representing various southeast Aegean and likely Cilician producers, the mixed cargo aboard this probable shipwreck offers insights into the complex dynamics of seaborne distribution at the end of antiquity. This brief study also underscores the need for documentation in underwater survey of amphora forms and fabrics, particularly those from a period characterized by intensified and diversified production of supra-regional ceramic types.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Ancient History of Cyprus, Cilicia, Roman Economy, and 10 moreLate Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Late Roman Amphorae, Ancient Ports and Shipping, and Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce
Exchange in the Roman Mediterranean has often been described with general network terminology, but rarely have the formal methods or theory of network analysis been applied to the archaeological evidence for Roman maritime interaction.... more
Exchange in the Roman Mediterranean has often been described with general network terminology, but rarely have the formal methods or theory of network analysis been applied to the archaeological evidence for Roman maritime interaction. Using case studies around the island of Cyprus, this paper addresses how network approaches might inform analysis of seaborne economic and social connectivity at different scales across the ancient world. The locations of opportunistic ports, and the cargo sizes and approximate durations of journeys represented by shipwrecks provide parameters for characterizing network activity: in this case the networks that linked communities beyond the major coastal urban ports into a highly regionalized maritime economy. This approach to network activity defines and emphasizes a regional scale as distinct from both local and long-distance activity. It raises critical issues about the structure and functioning of networks in light of the socioeconomic conditions and logistics of ancient seafaring, and it provides a framework for investigating the development of markets in the Roman maritime economy. Rather than revealing a single expansive and well-integrated “trade network” across the Roman Mediterranean, the approach here suggests multiple discrete regional and interregional networks centered on distinct products, ships, distances, agents, communities, and economic mechanisms.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Ancient Networks, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Roman Economy, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 7 moreRoman Trade Networks, Ancient economy, Network analysis in archaeology, Historical network analysis, Ancient Maritime Trade Routes, Mobility and networks in Mediterranean, and Roman Archaeology
Archaeological surveys off Cyprus have brought to light evidence for complex seaborne exchange networks during the Roman era. A shipwreck explored off the island’s southeast coast at Fig Tree Bay offers a profile of a commercial venture... more
Archaeological surveys off Cyprus have brought to light evidence for complex seaborne exchange networks during the Roman era. A shipwreck explored off the island’s southeast coast at Fig Tree Bay offers a profile of a commercial venture that may have been typical of one level of maritime economic integration: a small cargo of primarily Cilician and North Syrian amphoras, along with a handful of more exotic exports. The mixed assemblage hints at broader patterns in the background distribution of agricultural goods between major imperial centers, regional emporia, minor port towns, and outlying non-urban coastal areas. Viewed alongside local maritime activity at two small opportunistic ports, this material record provides a window into the dynamics of seaborne exchange and the intersection of small-scale and short-haul with larger-scale and longer-distance trade. The interplay of these models of exchange bears directly on the role of markets that brought local and international goods and information to a quiet Roman province, and in turn opened Cypriot agricultural produce for consumption across the Roman world. Together, these scattered remains help to fill out a picture of limited maritime economic integration and market development in the northeast Mediterranean and beyond.
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The unusually large, well-preserved, and precisely dated amphora assemblage from the early 7th-century Yassıada shipwreck, excavated off the Bodrum Peninsula in Turkey between 1961 and 1964, presents an opportunity to study the dynamics... more
The unusually large, well-preserved, and precisely dated amphora assemblage from the early 7th-century Yassıada shipwreck, excavated off the Bodrum Peninsula in Turkey between 1961 and 1964, presents an opportunity to study the dynamics of late Roman ceramic production within the context of large-scale maritime exchange. Detailed typological and metrological studies undertaken since the site’s 1982 publication have demonstrated a wide range of subtypes within each of the two broad amphora groups: the LR1 class and a globular family of amphoras that includes LR2 and other forms. This paper investigates cargo diversity from a complementary archaeometric perspective, namely ceramic petrography, focusing on a limited sample drawn from among the LR1 amphoras. The considerable formal diversity is here mirrored by fabric diversity, with perhaps as many as ten fabrics falling into three discrete groups. Though these fabrics or groups cannot yet be linked with certainty to individual production centers, their mineralogical differences point to origins in a variety of areas that may include Cilicia as well as other regions. Comprehensive analysis holds the potential to shed more light not only on the resources on which the dispatchers of the shipment drew, but also the mechanisms behind agricultural supply of the state and military during the economic and political crises of the early 7th century.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Late Roman Archaeology, and 9 moreLate Roman Pottery, Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Ancient economy, Ancient Shipwrecks, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
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Investigations of Mediterranean connectivity have increasingly turned toward maritime landscape models to frame questions of seaborne exploration, marine resource exploitation, trade and exchange, and seafaring culture. Environmental and... more
Investigations of Mediterranean connectivity have increasingly turned toward maritime landscape models to frame questions of seaborne exploration, marine resource exploitation, trade and exchange, and seafaring culture. Environmental and technological parameters are consistently acknowledged as crucial for understanding when and why different relationships developed across the sea, but their formal employment in the modeling and interpretation of maritime space remains quite limited. The methodology outlined here utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to integrate environment and technology as an analytical tool for exploring the complexity of seaborne connectivity. Focusing on sailing days as practical units of distance and using an Archaic Greek shipwreck off Turkey as a case study, this preliminary model demonstrates how a more nuanced spatial approach can inform the human geography and socioeconomic structures of ancient maritime interaction.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Archaeological GIS, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, and 6 moreAncient Shipwrecks, Archaic Greece, Ancient Seafaring, Preclassical Seafaring, Early Seafaring, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but as central gathering spaces for economic and cultural exchange. Drawing on case studies from the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, this paper situates opportunistic ports... more
Ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but as central gathering spaces for economic and cultural exchange. Drawing on case studies from the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, this paper situates opportunistic ports lacking built facilities within a broader socioeconomic context of diverse maritime communications, expanding rural settlement, and increased agricultural productivity during late antiquity. Though simple, these sites served as active agents in the development of new maritime networks as well as local markets throughout their hinterlands, adding flexibility and dynamism to the economic ties between city, countryside, and the wider late Roman world.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cypriot Archaeology, Cyprus Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Cyprus, and 8 moreLate Roman Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient economy, Roman provinces, Ancient Mediterranean ports, and Ancient Ports and Harbours
Amphoras, the most common ceramic finds in underwater archaeological contexts in the Mediterranean, provide fundamental evidence for the study of seaborne distribution in the ancient economy. This paper opens a brief dialog on the... more
Amphoras, the most common ceramic finds in underwater archaeological contexts in the Mediterranean, provide fundamental evidence for the study of seaborne distribution in the ancient economy. This paper opens a brief dialog on the potential complementary contributions of various amphora contexts typically encountered during underwater archaeological survey: not only shipwrecks, but scattered remains at maritime facilities (e.g., harbors and anchorages) and navigational hazards (e.g., promontories and dangerous reefs). Viewed together within a wider setting of material evidence for the ancient economy, the maritime assemblages from these different sites provide comparanda for broad socioeconomic trends evident in the ceramic record on land as well as unique insights into particular distribution mechanisms and seaborne networks. Using Cyprus as a case study, the following discussion draws on patterns observable in the underwater archaeological survey record off the south coast to highlight new details of the island’s regional maritime connections and broader economy, in particular for the Late Roman period (4th to 7th century).
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cypriot Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Cyprus, and 9 moreLate Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient economy, Ancient Shipwrecks, Underwater Archaeology Method, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
Despite the relative scarcity of early Archaic shipwrecks in the material record of the eastern Mediterranean, three sites off the Turkish coast provide a persuasive argument for an emerging flourish in communication and cultural exchange... more
Despite the relative scarcity of early Archaic shipwrecks in the material record of the eastern Mediterranean, three sites off the Turkish coast provide a persuasive argument for an emerging flourish in communication and cultural exchange centering on Cyprus during the 7th century. Comprised largely of Cypriot basket-handle amphoras, often alongside smaller numbers of Aegean jars, these agricultural cargos collectively suggest that direct trade between Cyprus and East Greece played a key role in the expanding economic interaction between the Aegean and the Levant, as well as the emerging internationalism that marked this period more generally.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cypriot Archaeology, Turkey, Cyprus, Underwater Archaeology, and 11 moreMaritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Greek Pottery, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Amphorae (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Geometric and archaic Greece, East Greek Pottery, Ancient Maritime Trade Routes, Archaic Trade Amphoras, and Maritime trade
The recent entry into force of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage raises key legal and ethical issues for the preservation and exploration of shipwrecks, particularly those that lie outside... more
The recent entry into force of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage raises key legal and ethical issues for the preservation and exploration of shipwrecks, particularly those that lie outside Territorial Seas. With its long history of maritime connectivity and cultural fluidity, and a modern political landscape of national boundaries, the Mediterranean Sea presents a particularly complex scenario. To explore such issues, this paper considers a hypothetical exploration of the ill-fated Napried, a ship used by the 19th-century American consul and antiquarian Luigi Palma di Cesnola to transport his antiquities from Cyprus.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, Cypriot Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Law, Cyprus, and 7 moreArchaeological Ethics, Antiquarianism, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Underwater Cultural Heritage Management, and Underwater Cultural Heritage
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The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage came into force on 2 January 2009. As of November 2010, the convention has 35 signatories, of which 10 are states that border the Mediterranean Sea. Because... more
The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage came into force on 2 January 2009. As of November 2010, the convention has 35 signatories, of which 10 are states that border the Mediterranean Sea. Because the convention has not been universally adopted by all Mediterranean states, underwater cultural heritage in different areas around the Mediterranean is subject to different claims of ownership and interest. We argue here that maritime archaeologists should play an active role in the stewardship and protection of underwater cultural heritage by working to establish ethical guidelines, best practices, and a clear plan of action for research that falls within, but also outside, current national and international legal protections.
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During its annual surveys of the Turkish coast in the 1970s and 1980s, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology discovered two early Archaic (7th- to early-6th-century BC) shipwrecks at Kekova Adası (Antalya region) and Kepçe Burnu (Muğla... more
During its annual surveys of the Turkish coast in the 1970s and 1980s, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology discovered two early Archaic (7th- to early-6th-century BC) shipwrecks at Kekova Adası (Antalya region) and Kepçe Burnu (Muğla region); Dokuz Eylül University's Institute of Marine Science and Technology is currently involved in survey of the region. The wrecks, marked by a primary cargo of basket-handle amphoras, indicate exchange between Cyprus and the cities of coastal Asia Minor and Corinth. Such Iron Age internationalism may have been driven by an interest in processed agricultural goods such as olive oil.
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Leidwanger, J. and S. Tusa. 2017. "Marzamemi II ‘Church Wreck’ Excavation: 2016 Field Season." Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea 14: 105-122. New investigations of the famous Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’—originally brought to scholarly... more
Leidwanger, J. and S. Tusa. 2017. "Marzamemi II ‘Church Wreck’ Excavation: 2016 Field Season." Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea 14: 105-122.
New investigations of the famous Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’—originally brought to scholarly and public attention in the 1960s—began in 2013 as part of an overall collaborative initiative combining survey and excavation with heritage management and museum development off the southeast coast of Sicily. Dating around the early 6th-century AD and carrying a monumental cargo of partially prefabricated religious and decorative architectural elements, the shipwreck was almost certainly lost while en route for a building program in the late antique west. Annual fieldwork campaigns over the past four years have shed new light on the major architectural assemblage, while revealing details of additional cargo components, shipboard items, and traces of the hull itself. The following contribution presents results of the 2016 fieldwork and synthesizes new finds with those of earlier reports in this journal (see Leidwanger and Bruno 2014, Leidwanger and Tusa 2015, 2016).
New investigations of the famous Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’—originally brought to scholarly and public attention in the 1960s—began in 2013 as part of an overall collaborative initiative combining survey and excavation with heritage management and museum development off the southeast coast of Sicily. Dating around the early 6th-century AD and carrying a monumental cargo of partially prefabricated religious and decorative architectural elements, the shipwreck was almost certainly lost while en route for a building program in the late antique west. Annual fieldwork campaigns over the past four years have shed new light on the major architectural assemblage, while revealing details of additional cargo components, shipboard items, and traces of the hull itself. The following contribution presents results of the 2016 fieldwork and synthesizes new finds with those of earlier reports in this journal (see Leidwanger and Bruno 2014, Leidwanger and Tusa 2015, 2016).
Research Interests: Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Roman Economy, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, and 9 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Roman Sicily, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Sicily, Paleochristian and Late Antique Archaeology, and Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused since 2013 on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering... more
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused since 2013 on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän, this vessel was carrying a large cargo of partially prefabricated religious architectural elements likely intended to decorate the interior of one or more structures somewhere in the late antique west. Building on 2013 and 2014 field season reports published in this journal (Leidwanger and Bruno 2014, Leidwanger and Tusa 2015), the following account summarizes the results of the 2015 summer fieldwork at Marzamemi, the current state of analysis and interpretation, and plans for future archaeological and heritage efforts on the wreck and material assemblage.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Roman Empire, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, and 11 moreUnderwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Roman Sicily, Ancient Shipwrecks, Sicily, Ancient Seafaring, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Roman Marbles, and Roman Archaeology
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused since 2013 on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering... more
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused since 2013 on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän, this vessel was carrying a large cargo of partially prefabricated religious architectural elements likely intended to decorate the interior of one or more structures somewhere in the late antique west. Building on 2013 and 2014 field season reports published in this journal (Leidwanger and Bruno 2014, Leidwanger and Tusa 2015), the following account summarizes the results of the 2015 summer fieldwork at Marzamemi, the current state of analysis and interpretation, and plans for future archaeological and heritage efforts on the wreck and material assemblage.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, and 9 moreLate Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Roman Trade Networks, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Ancient Sicily, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Ancient Roman Marbles
Leidwanger, J. and S. Tusa. 2015. "Marzamemi II ‘Church Wreck’ Excavation: 2014 Field Season." Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea 12: 103-115. Since 2013, the Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused its efforts on the famous... more
Leidwanger, J. and S. Tusa. 2015. "Marzamemi II ‘Church Wreck’ Excavation: 2014 Field Season." Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea 12: 103-115.
Since 2013, the Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused its efforts on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän, this vessel was carrying a large cargo of pre-fabricated architectural elements intended to decorate the interior of one or more structures somewhere in the late antique west. Building on 2013 field season report, published in volume 10 of this journal (Leidwanger and Bruno 2014), the following account summarizes the results of the 2014 summer field season at Marzamemi, the current state of analysis and interpretation, and plans for future work on the wreck assemblage.
Since 2013, the Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project has focused its efforts on the famous 6th-century AD Marzamemi II ‘church wreck’ off the southeast coast of Sicily. Initially discovered more than a half-century ago and explored by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän, this vessel was carrying a large cargo of pre-fabricated architectural elements intended to decorate the interior of one or more structures somewhere in the late antique west. Building on 2013 field season report, published in volume 10 of this journal (Leidwanger and Bruno 2014), the following account summarizes the results of the 2014 summer field season at Marzamemi, the current state of analysis and interpretation, and plans for future work on the wreck assemblage.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Late Roman Empire, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, and 12 moreLate Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Roman Trade Networks, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Late Antique Architecture, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Sicily, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Ancient Roman Marbles
Research Interests: Late Antiquity, Late Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Pottery, Underwater Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology, and 9 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient economy, Ancient Shipwrecks, Roman Architecture, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Maritime trade, and Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Architecture and History of Art
Leidwanger, J. and E.S. Greene, 2017. "The Marzamemi Shipwreck Excavation: A Late Antique Church under the Sea." INA Quarterly 43.3/4: 8-13.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Architectural History, Late Antiquity, Roman Economy, and 7 moreUnderwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Roman Sicily, Ancient Shipwrecks, and Maritime trade
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Coastal Geomorphology, Greek Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 6 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Caria, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, and Ancient Ports and Harbours
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Greene, E.S., J. Leidwanger, and N. Tuna. 2012. "Investigations at the Harbors of Burgaz." INA Quarterly 39.3-4: 15.
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Excavations at Burgaz in southwest Turkey have brought to light a seaside settlement that flourished with maritime activity from the Archaic period through Late Antiquity (ca. 700 BC - AD 650). The home of the ancient Knidians before... more
Excavations at Burgaz in southwest Turkey have brought to light a seaside settlement that flourished with maritime activity from the Archaic period through Late Antiquity (ca. 700 BC - AD 650). The home of the ancient Knidians before their move 30 km west to the tip of the Datça peninsula, Burgaz underwent significant transformation in the 4th c. BC, when workshops and industrial zones replaced domestic quarters and public spaces. This shift was concurrent with the expansion of the port city of Knidos as the regional and international center of religious and cultural life. Archaeological explorations of Burgaz’s four harbors since 2011 suggest that in its foundation and initial development, the town served as an entrepôt for communication and agricultural exchange with links around the southeast Aegean. Shifts in the maritime landscape are likewise evident here in the 4th c., when Burgaz’s earliest harbor was left to silt as infrastructure development centered on port facilities a few hundred meters away boasting new agricultural processing installations and ceramic workshops. These contemporaneous developments and the broader reorganization of socioeconomic activity on the peninsula intersect with increasingly international networks of the late Classical and early Hellenistic era. Once at the edge of its maritime region around the Gulf of Hisarönü, Knidos now found itself straddling the much more heavily trafficked lines of communication between the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean. Tied into these farther-flung networks, it was more desirable as the preeminent cultural and probably also the business hub, even as the best agricultural lands allowed Burgaz to continue flourishing as the peninsula’s economic engine.
Through its evolving fortunes and dynamic maritime landscape—including continued use and expansion of its facilities even as the civic body relocated to Knidos—Burgaz offers a long-term perspective on maritime networks and raises crucial questions about the socioeconomic rationale for the location of port development and shipping routes in antiquity. What social, political, environmental or other motivations are behind the relocation of network hubs, and how do such events unfold with respect to differing positions within Mediterranean connectivity? What drove residents in the fertile center of the Datça peninsula to expand their maritime horizon by capitalizing on rich lands, raw materials, and ceramic production rather than resigning themselves to oblivion once deprived of their earlier civic, religious, and military centrality? How do the technology, design, and utilization of facilities shift with new economic opportunities and broadening maritime horizons? The growing appreciation of harbors as active agents in the construction of multifaceted networks—“nodes of density in the matrix of connectivity” (Horden & Purcell 2000)—offers the chance to look outward at the intersection of one dynamic maritime landscape with broader developments in the connections that set the rhythm of Mediterranean cultural life. The historical, geographical and archaeological setting makes Burgaz one such ideal lens through which to explore Mediterranean connectivity and shifting centers of maritime activity concurrent with regional sociopolitical, economic and technological development, maritime network internationalism, as well as catastrophic and gradual local environmental pressure.
Through its evolving fortunes and dynamic maritime landscape—including continued use and expansion of its facilities even as the civic body relocated to Knidos—Burgaz offers a long-term perspective on maritime networks and raises crucial questions about the socioeconomic rationale for the location of port development and shipping routes in antiquity. What social, political, environmental or other motivations are behind the relocation of network hubs, and how do such events unfold with respect to differing positions within Mediterranean connectivity? What drove residents in the fertile center of the Datça peninsula to expand their maritime horizon by capitalizing on rich lands, raw materials, and ceramic production rather than resigning themselves to oblivion once deprived of their earlier civic, religious, and military centrality? How do the technology, design, and utilization of facilities shift with new economic opportunities and broadening maritime horizons? The growing appreciation of harbors as active agents in the construction of multifaceted networks—“nodes of density in the matrix of connectivity” (Horden & Purcell 2000)—offers the chance to look outward at the intersection of one dynamic maritime landscape with broader developments in the connections that set the rhythm of Mediterranean cultural life. The historical, geographical and archaeological setting makes Burgaz one such ideal lens through which to explore Mediterranean connectivity and shifting centers of maritime activity concurrent with regional sociopolitical, economic and technological development, maritime network internationalism, as well as catastrophic and gradual local environmental pressure.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Coastal and Island Archaeology, Greek Archaeology, and 12 moreMediterranean archaeology, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Caria, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Ancient Ports and Shipping, Knidos, Connectivity, Ancient Harbors, Ancient Ports and Harbours, Roman Archaeology, and Archaeological Network Analysis
Leidwanger, J., E.S. Greene, and N. Tuna. 2018. "From Burgaz to the Knidia: Contextualizing the Maritime Landscape of the Datça Peninsula." 119th Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Boston, 4-7 January 2018.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Hellenistic Pottery, and 6 moreAncient Caria, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Roman Amphorae, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Ancient Ports and Harbours
3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy of... more
3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy of such models makes them attractive and useful for a wide range of purposes. The present paper focuses mainly on the combined use of 3D survey techniques of small and medium objects, using the conventional scanner Artec, with ScubaLibre, a 3D stereoscopic scanner system developed by the Suor Orsola Benincasa University team. This paper presents the results obtained during the underwater excavation of a ship that sank near Marzamemi, southeast Sicily, in the 6th century AD. The data collected and processed offers the basis for new analysis of contexts and artifacts found and the development of new forms of musealization of cultural heritage through innovative technologies for augmented reality and immersive environments.
Research Interests:
Archaeological investigations at the Archaic through late Roman harbors associated with Burgaz (“Old Knidos”) on Turkey’s Datça peninsula have been conducted since 2011, with the aim of exploring the long-term development of the ports and... more
Archaeological investigations at the Archaic through late Roman harbors associated with Burgaz (“Old Knidos”) on Turkey’s Datça peninsula have been conducted since 2011, with the aim of exploring the long-term development of the ports and their integration within the urban settlement. As a collaboration between Brock University, Stanford University and Middle East Technical University, the Burgaz Harbors Project focuses on the changing maritime and economic landscape of the site, before and after the Late Classical expansion of New Knidos at the tip of the peninsula; around this time activity at Burgaz shifts toward large-scale industry. In 2015, fieldwork and analysis focused on research related to the earliest phases of harbor use. Ongoing excavation in Harbor 1 is providing evidence for the development of Burgaz’s initial maritime facility: an enclosed but now largely silted basin adjacent to the city center. The expansion of an excavation area opened in 2014 has revealed well-preserved ceramics and organics. Within the context of these recent finds we explore the relationship between harbor and settlement at Burgaz. As the residents’ needs and the city’s political, social, and economic circumstances changed, so did the urban-harbor matrix. In the settlement’s early stage as a center of regional agricultural activity, a single harbor with minimal architectural embellishment may have served as a multi-functional space. During the Late Classical period, however, Burgaz dedicated significant resources to the construction of a fortified port south of the acropolis, which divided the functional attributes of the harbors between military to the south and communication and commercial activities further north, while retaining physical connectivity to the settlement core. Even after the decline of Burgaz as a primary regional cultural center after the 4th century, the site’s maritime connections appear to expand again, with an emphasis on industrial and commercial activity that shifted focus back toward the north. While investigations in 2015 are revealing clues to the settlement’s early maritime connections, that maritime exchange and investment continues at Hellenistic Burgaz even after its presumed “abandonment” should be no surprise. Evidence from the harbors suggests long term socioeconomic activity along the peninsula in which different small ports and production centers play complementary roles in overlapping local, regional, and interregional maritime networks.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Coastal Geomorphology, Ancient Urban Planning, Greek Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, and 8 moreMediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient economy, Ancient Caria, Ancient Urbanism, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, Knidos, and Ancient Ports and Harbours
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a collaborative excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on the maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the southeast coast of Sicily. Since 2013, fieldwork here... more
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a collaborative excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on the maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the southeast coast of Sicily. Since 2013, fieldwork here has centered on the famous “church wreck”, which sank while carrying prefabricated architectural elements for the construction of a late antique church—possibly alongside other cargo—from the northern Aegean region during the 6th century. In addition to three field seasons of survey and excavation, efforts have centered on documentation and conservation of previously raised materials, including those excavated in the 1960s by pioneering underwater archaeologist Gerhard Kapitän, as well as complete three-dimensional recording of the dispersed site and individual finds, both in situ and raised. Together, the vessel and its cargo offer insight into the character and patterns of maritime connectivity between the divergent east and west Mediterranean worlds, and the possible complementary roles of imperial agency and local patronage in the ambitious programs of (re-)construction in 6th-century Italy. Equally important to this research, however, is the development of collaborative heritage management and outreach strategies, particularly centered on the development of the new local Museum of the Sea, designed to engage the public and promote responsible cultural tourism in the area.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, and 13 moreRoman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Ancient Sicily, Sicily, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Ancient Seafaring, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Roman Marble Quarries, Ancient Maritime Trade Routes, Ancient Roman Marbles, and Maritime trade
3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy of... more
3D models derived from digital survey techniques have increasingly developed and focused on many fields of application, from urban survey and landscapes to individual objects of cultural heritage. The high detailed content and accuracy of such models makes them attractive and useful for a wide range of purposes. The present paper focuses mainly on the combined use of 3D survey techniques of small and medium objects, using the conventional scanner Artec, with ScubaLibre, a 3D stereoscopic scanner system developed by the Suor Orsola Benincasa University team. This paper presents the results obtained during the underwater excavation of a ship that sank near Marzamemi, southeast Sicily, in the 6th century AD. The data collected and processed offers the basis for new analysis of contexts and artifacts found and the development of new forms of musealization of cultural heritage through innovative technologies for augmented reality and immersive environments.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Digital Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Digital Cultural Heritage, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, and 4 more3D modelling cultural heritage, 3D Laser Scanning (Archaeology), Laser Scanning, Digital Terrain and Surface Modeling, Digital Photogrammetry, and 3D Laser Scanning underwater (Archaeology)
Roman ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but also as central gathering spaces for cultural and economic exchange. With the growing adoption of network metaphors and analytical approaches to maritime connectivity,... more
Roman ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but also as central gathering spaces for cultural and economic exchange. With the growing adoption of network metaphors and analytical approaches to maritime connectivity, considerable emphasis has been placed on the centrality and critical “hub” function of major harbors in binding together the far reaches of the Roman world into a vast network. Far less clear, though, is the practical impact of such large-scale structures beyond the major port cities, and how empire-wide links may have interacted with maritime networks operating on local or regional levels. To what extent did seaborne communication and exchange comprise a highly integrated Mediterranean web centered on urban hubs? Can a single network model account not only for this vast geographical area, but for the entire range of products, ships, distances, agents, communities, and economic mechanisms involved? What role might smaller, secondary and opportunistic ports have played in structuring maritime interaction and socioeconomic life in their hinterlands? To what extent were different communities in different localities tied into different maritime networks?
Using Cyprus as a case study, the approach adopted here explores the possible role of maritime networks in daily life, particularly beyond the island’s larger harbor hubs. A GIS-based analysis of maritime and terrestrial topography explores the spatial patterning of settlements and ports, providing a clearer picture of how dense maritime facilities and ease of mobility on and around the island created a low threshold for seaborne connectivity. Rather than relying on the nearest major harbor city, populations outside coastal urban centers enjoyed proximity and easy access to some form of simple port or beach-side anchorage, allowing the sea to play a dynamic role in the forging of links and socioeconomic life more generally across much of the island. The maritime networks that developed were dense but hardly universal or uniform, forming distinct but overlapping scales of regional and interregional activity that reflect the diverse needs of different communities, the complex movements of goods and people, and the varied agents involved.
Using Cyprus as a case study, the approach adopted here explores the possible role of maritime networks in daily life, particularly beyond the island’s larger harbor hubs. A GIS-based analysis of maritime and terrestrial topography explores the spatial patterning of settlements and ports, providing a clearer picture of how dense maritime facilities and ease of mobility on and around the island created a low threshold for seaborne connectivity. Rather than relying on the nearest major harbor city, populations outside coastal urban centers enjoyed proximity and easy access to some form of simple port or beach-side anchorage, allowing the sea to play a dynamic role in the forging of links and socioeconomic life more generally across much of the island. The maritime networks that developed were dense but hardly universal or uniform, forming distinct but overlapping scales of regional and interregional activity that reflect the diverse needs of different communities, the complex movements of goods and people, and the varied agents involved.
Research Interests:
Ongoing excavation in the city center and harbor complex of Burgaz, on the Datça peninsula in southwest Turkey, provides occasion to investigate the long-term dynamics of ceramic production and maritime circulation from the Archaic era... more
Ongoing excavation in the city center and harbor complex of Burgaz, on the Datça peninsula in southwest Turkey, provides occasion to investigate the long-term dynamics of ceramic production and maritime circulation from the Archaic era through the end of antiquity. Since 2013, these efforts have included the chemical (pXRF) and mineralogical (petrography) characterization of pottery with an eye toward: (1) identifying the range and variety of local ceramic traditions within Burgaz and its territory, including distinguishing fabric groups representative of smaller production contours across the peninsula; (2) understanding the relationship between changing forms and fabrics over the history of local production based on evidence ranging from excavated workshops to geological prospection in the environs of Burgaz; and (3) quantifying trends in the import and export dynamics of a long-lived eastern Mediterranean maritime center. Since this port town served variously as its own nexus for small-scale, short-haul regional exchange and a link between the local agricultural economy and the wider interregional Mediterranean trade, a detailed analysis of ceramics from the city and harbor contexts may shed light on Burgaz's place in the shifting maritime economics between the Archaic period and late antiquity. This paper presents results of the 2013-2014 analyses, addressing the overall potential of analytical methods here for characterizing the long-term dynamics of maritime economies at the local, regional, and interregional scales.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, Ceramics (Archaeology), Underwater Archaeology, and 9 moreMaritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Greek Pottery, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Hellenistic Pottery, Ancient Caria, Roman ceramics, East Greek Pottery, Ancient Pottery Analysis, and Maritime trade
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a multi-period excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on the maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the southeast coast of Sicily. The concentration of... more
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a multi-period excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on the maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the southeast coast of Sicily. The concentration of accessible sites and their location at the intersection of the eastern and western Mediterranean facilitates inquiry into long-term structures of regional and interregional maritime exchange throughout antiquity and beyond. The first field seasons (2013-2014) have prioritized exploration and management of the famous Marzamemi “church wreck”, which sank while carrying prefabricated architectural elements for the construction of a late antique church—possibly alongside other cargo—from the northern Aegean region during the 6th century. This fieldwork has focused on documentation and conservation of materials previously raised from the wreck, complete three-dimensional recording of the dispersed site and individual finds, and excavation in several of the more promising sandy areas. Together, the vessel and its cargo offer insight into the character and patterns of maritime connectivity between the divergent east and west Mediterranean worlds, and the possible complementary roles of imperial agency and local patronage in the ambitious programs of (re-)construction in 6th-century Italy. Equally important to this research, however, is the development of heritage management and outreach strategies, including a new museum, designed to engage the public and promote responsible cultural tourism in the area.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Underwater Archaeology, and 8 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Roman Marble trade and distribution, Ancient economy, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Ancient Maritime Trade Routes, Ancient marble quarries, Maritime trade, and Roman Archaeology
Investigations in the harbors of Burgaz (Old Knidos) on Turkey’s Datça Peninsula have been conducted by Brock University and Stanford University since 2011 in tandem with excavation by Middle East Technical University of the Archaic... more
Investigations in the harbors of Burgaz (Old Knidos) on Turkey’s Datça Peninsula have been conducted by Brock University and Stanford University since 2011 in tandem with excavation by Middle East Technical University of the Archaic through late Classical habitation site. After the late Classical period, settlement at Burgaz declines and the site is refashioned as an industrial complex. Built dolia and workshop or storage spaces along shore testify to a flourishing industry of wine production. That the town also continues to utilize—and in some places expand—its harbor structures and fortifications into the Hellenistic period, even as the settlement changes its focus toward industry, may suggest that the design of the harbors likewise shifts to meet new needs of local production and distribution. With the growth of Knidos as the region’s preeminent center, looking outward to a larger Hellenistic world, Burgaz does not recede into the economic background. Continued proximity to key resources—fertile agricultural land, raw materials, and ceramic production areas—allow Burgaz to expand its industrial focus on land and at sea, serving as a supplier of products within its immediate region and beyond through integration with the growing maritime economy of Knidos.
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Archaeological investigation in the harbors associated with Burgaz or “Old Knidos” on Turkey’s Datça peninsula have been conducted since 2011 in tandem with excavation by Middle East Technical University (METU) of the Archaic through Late... more
Archaeological investigation in the harbors associated with Burgaz or “Old Knidos” on Turkey’s Datça peninsula have been conducted since 2011 in tandem with excavation by Middle East Technical University (METU) of the Archaic through Late Classical habitation site. After the Late Classical period, settlement at Burgaz declines and the site is refashioned as an industrial complex while many of its residents relocate to Knidos at Tekir on the tip of the peninsula. Along the shore and the nearby coastal inland, built dolia and workshop or storage spaces testify to a flourishing industry of wine production. The Burgaz Harbors Project aims to conduct comprehensive survey and excavation in the four harbors associated with the site, seeking answers about the development of the town, its ports, and its integration within a broader maritime cultural and economic landscape.
In 2013 a team from Brock University and Stanford University focused on recording and excavation in and around two of the site’s four harbors: Harbor 1 (L1), believed to be associated with the earliest habitation phases of the site, and Harbor 2 (L2) where built moles and towers may have served a defensive purpose. Limited marine geophysical survey and coring was undertaken for the assessment of chronological phases of the harbor environment with respect to sea level change, as well as environmental reconstruction and the identification of abrupt events. Excavation in the harbors reveals construction built upon piled rubble, designed to create a level surface for the blocks of the moles. Such leveling techniques are not uncommon in harbor construction throughout the eastern Mediterranean, and are also seen on land sites nearby where pebble and rubble foundations served for earthquake protection. Investigations in L2 this year centered not only on archaeology, but also on current and future heritage management in light of increased tourism in the area.
In 2013 a team from Brock University and Stanford University focused on recording and excavation in and around two of the site’s four harbors: Harbor 1 (L1), believed to be associated with the earliest habitation phases of the site, and Harbor 2 (L2) where built moles and towers may have served a defensive purpose. Limited marine geophysical survey and coring was undertaken for the assessment of chronological phases of the harbor environment with respect to sea level change, as well as environmental reconstruction and the identification of abrupt events. Excavation in the harbors reveals construction built upon piled rubble, designed to create a level surface for the blocks of the moles. Such leveling techniques are not uncommon in harbor construction throughout the eastern Mediterranean, and are also seen on land sites nearby where pebble and rubble foundations served for earthquake protection. Investigations in L2 this year centered not only on archaeology, but also on current and future heritage management in light of increased tourism in the area.
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The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a collaborative excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the coast of southeast Sicily. The concentration of accessible... more
The Marzamemi Maritime Heritage Project is a collaborative excavation, survey, and heritage management initiative focusing on maritime landscape and seaborne communication off the coast of southeast Sicily. The concentration of accessible sites and their location at the intersection of the eastern and western Mediterranean facilitates inquiry into long-term structures of regional and interregional maritime exchange from the early Roman era through Late Antiquity. The first field season in 2013 saw the initiation of new excavations at the site of the Marzamemi II shipwreck, originally discovered and partially explored by Gerhard Kapitän a half-century ago. This vessel appears to have sunk while carrying prefabricated architectural elements for the assembly of a Byzantine church during the 6th century. A rare example of “high trade” in building materials, the ship’s other cargo, personal items, and hull remains could offer unique insight into the relationship between specialized state-driven and independent commerce as well as the ambitious reconstruction program integral to Justinian’s projection of imperial ideology. Alongside archaeological research, the project situates excavation within a broader dialog on natural and cultural heritage practices in the region.
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Ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but also as central gathering spaces for cultural and economic exchange between mixed communities of farmers, merchants and sailors. The common orientation of coastal Mediterranean... more
Ports served not only as interfaces between land and sea, but also as central gathering spaces for cultural and economic exchange between mixed communities of farmers, merchants and sailors. The common orientation of coastal Mediterranean populations toward the sea made ports critical for connectivity across the ancient world. While considerable attention has been devoted to the extensive harbor constructions of large cities, many small communities beyond the urban centers were tied into Mediterranean communication through less elaborate and less permanent facilities, often simple open beach landings and anchorages without built infrastructure. How these unassuming spaces functioned, and how people were integrated into larger socioeconomic networks through such ports, remains less clear. What types of merchants used these facilities? How archaeologically visible are such sites, and how might we detect their maritime activities? What opportunities did these ports offer? And how might new spaces of exchange have changed the maritime economic landscape for those living nearby? Drawing on case studies from Cyprus, this paper situates opportunistic ports within a broader socioeconomic context of diverse maritime contacts, expanding rural settlement, and increased agricultural productivity between the Roman and late Roman periods. Though modest and often inconspicuous, these sites served as active agents in the development of maritime networks as well as local markets for residents of associated towns and hinterlands, adding flexibility and dynamism to the economic ties between city, countryside, and the wider world.
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Underwater surveys off Cyprus have brought to light a variety of archaeological evidence for seaborne exchange during the Roman era. A shipwreck explored off the island’s southeast coast at Fig Tree Bay offers a profile of a commercial... more
Underwater surveys off Cyprus have brought to light a variety of archaeological evidence for seaborne exchange during the Roman era. A shipwreck explored off the island’s southeast coast at Fig Tree Bay offers a profile of a commercial venture that may have been typical of one level of maritime economic integration: a small cargo of primarily Cilician and North Syrian amphoras, along with a handful of more exotic exports. While a single shipwreck can only provide a glimpse into one facet of a wider economic system, the mixed assemblage hints at broader patterns in the background distribution of agricultural goods between major imperial centers, regional emporia, smaller port towns, and outlying non-urban coastal areas. It provides a window into the dynamics of small merchant activity and the intersection of small-scale and short-haul with larger-scale and longer-distance trade. The interplay of these models of exchange bears directly on the role of markets that brought local and international goods and information to a quiet Roman province, and in turn opened Cypriot agricultural produce for consumption across the Roman world. Viewed through this lens, the scattered remains of other shipwrecks and port assemblages along the Cypriot coast help to fill out a picture of limited maritime economic integration and market development in the northeast Mediterranean and beyond.
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"Excavations at Burgaz, Turkey conducted by Middle East Technical University (METU) since 1993 have revealed uninterrupted activity from the Geometric period through the early Hellenistic era. At its height in the Archaic and Classical... more
"Excavations at Burgaz, Turkey conducted by Middle East Technical University (METU) since 1993 have revealed uninterrupted activity from the Geometric period through the early Hellenistic era. At its height in the Archaic and Classical periods, the town’s residents enjoyed extensive domestic quarters and monumental civic structures arranged on an orthogonal plan. With its proximity to some of the most fertile land on the Datça peninsula as well as ready access to the sea, Burgaz is often considered to be the early settlement of the Knidians (Bean and Cook, BSA 47 [1952] 202-204; Bresson, Anatolia Antiqua 19 [2011]: 395). By the late fourth century, the nature of the settlement at Burgaz undergoes a dramatic shift as workshops and industrial zones geared primarily toward processing and storing the region’s agricultural production replace habitation and public spaces. At the same time, Knidos at Tekir on the tip of the Datça peninsula develops as a civic and religious center, well situated at the juncture of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas to take maximum advantage of the growing internationalism of the Hellenistic world.
Ongoing archaeological investigations in the harbor complex of Burgaz have been conducted by Brock University in collaboration with the METU team since 2011. Surface survey and test excavations suggest that in its foundation and initial development, the port served as an entrepôt for communication and trade primarily throughout the Carian region and neighboring islands: an economic zone that may map well onto the Dorian hexapolis described by Herodotus (1.144). That the town continues to utilize—and in some places expand—its harbor structures and fortifications in the Late Classical and Early Hellenistic periods, even as the settlement changes its focus toward industry, may suggest that the design of the harbors likewise shifts to meet the new needs of local production and distribution. With the growth of Knidos as the region’s preeminent religious and economic center, looking outward to a larger Hellenistic world, Burgaz does not recede into the economic background. Rather, the port seems to take on a new role as a link in the supply chain. Continued proximity to the Datça peninsula’s fertile interior, combined with access to raw materials and ceramic production areas at Reşadiye, allows Burgaz to expand its industrial focus on land and at sea, serving as a supplier of agricultural products within its immediate region and beyond through its integration with the growing maritime economy of Knidos."
Ongoing archaeological investigations in the harbor complex of Burgaz have been conducted by Brock University in collaboration with the METU team since 2011. Surface survey and test excavations suggest that in its foundation and initial development, the port served as an entrepôt for communication and trade primarily throughout the Carian region and neighboring islands: an economic zone that may map well onto the Dorian hexapolis described by Herodotus (1.144). That the town continues to utilize—and in some places expand—its harbor structures and fortifications in the Late Classical and Early Hellenistic periods, even as the settlement changes its focus toward industry, may suggest that the design of the harbors likewise shifts to meet the new needs of local production and distribution. With the growth of Knidos as the region’s preeminent religious and economic center, looking outward to a larger Hellenistic world, Burgaz does not recede into the economic background. Rather, the port seems to take on a new role as a link in the supply chain. Continued proximity to the Datça peninsula’s fertile interior, combined with access to raw materials and ceramic production areas at Reşadiye, allows Burgaz to expand its industrial focus on land and at sea, serving as a supplier of agricultural products within its immediate region and beyond through its integration with the growing maritime economy of Knidos."
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Research Interests: Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage Law, Archaeological Ethics, Cultural Heritage Management, Underwater Archaeology, and 5 moreMediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Underwater Cultural Heritage Management, Ancient Seafaring, and Underwater Cultural Heritage
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Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Archaeological Ethics, Cultural Heritage Management, Underwater Archaeology, and 5 moreMediterranean archaeology, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Underwater Cultural Heritage Management, and Underwater Cultural Heritage
Workshop hosted by the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Danish Institute in Athens, with support from Stanford University and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Research Interests: Ancient economies (Archaeology), Roman Pottery, Ceramics (Archaeology), Late Roman Pottery, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 8 moreAmphorae (Archaeology), Ancient economy, Standardization, Amphorae, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Pottery, Roman Amphorae, Late Roman Amphorae, and Ceramic production
Exploration of the material remains of Mediterranean ports and harbors extends back to the earliest days of underwater archaeology. Yet such studies have often focused on the strictly technical and architectural at the expense of the... more
Exploration of the material remains of Mediterranean ports and harbors extends back to the earliest days of underwater archaeology. Yet such studies have often focused on the strictly technical and architectural at the expense of the social and economic. In addressing together the many facets of these maritime archaeological sites, this session investigates how ports, harbors and anchorages fostered the development of socioeconomic relationships, communities and landscapes across the Mediterranean. Papers in this session will explore, at various analytical scales and through different methodologies, the cultural, environmental and economic processes behind constructed maritime landscapes, the interrelated effects of technological development and socioeconomic change, and the comparative and complementary roles played by a range of diverse facilities from massive built harbors to humble anchorages. Taking up the call of Horden and Purcell (2000, 393) to view these liminal spaces as “nodes of density in the matrix of connectivity”, this session provides a diachronic view of how ports, harbors and anchorages—large and small, built and natural, urban and peripheral, all-weather and seasonal—tied together the coastal populations of the pre-modern Mediterranean.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Levantine Archaeology, Anatolian Archaeology, Mediterranean Studies, and 29 moreMaritime Routes, Aegean Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), Ports and Harbours, Mediterranean archaeology, Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Anatolian Underwater Archaeology, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Ankara University, ANKUSAM, Ancient Egypt, Harbour Archaeology, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Aegean Archaeology, Mediterranean Archeology, the island of Crete, Maritime Studies, In Situ Conservation of Coastal & Underwater Heritage Sites, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Ports, Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Harbours, Underwater Surveys, Ancient harbours and anchorages, Archaeology: Maritime & Underwater archaeology; shipwreck archaeology; archaeology of piracy, Ancient Ports and Harbours, Ancient Mediterranean Harbours, European Association of Archaeologists, EAA, Maritime History and Underwater of the Byzantine and Medieval Periods In the Mediterranean, and EAA İSTANBUL
"The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage entered into force on 2 January 2009. The Convention reflects an international response to the looting and destruction of shipwrecks and other submerged... more
"The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage entered into force on 2 January 2009. The Convention reflects an international response to the looting and destruction of shipwrecks and other submerged sites, and answers the desire by states to assert control over the exploration and exploitation of offshore cultural heritage. At the core of the Convention are four basic principles: (1) an obligation to preserve underwater cultural heritage (UCH); (2) the consideration of in situ preservation of sites as the first option; (3) a prohibition on the commercial exploitation of UCH; and (4) cooperation among states to protect UCH, particularly through training, education and outreach. The Convention includes an Annex outlining rules for research on and sound treatment of UCH based on the 1996 International Council on Monuments and Sites Charter on the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage. The legal framework of the Convention builds on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which establishes the zones where states can exert different laws and influence. As of March 2014, the Convention includes 45 states parties, of which 13 border the Mediterranean Sea. While certain states seem likely to sign the Convention in the near future, political considerations may keep others from ratification for the foreseeable future if not indefinitely. Among the “research states” that are most active in Mediterranean waters, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada are not current signatories.
In light of the Convention’s entry into force but the remaining uneven situation regarding UCH research and preservation initiatives, this panel brings together archaeologists, scientists, policy experts, and legal specialists to address threats to UCH in national and international waters and the degree of protection provided by the Convention and other law. Participants will explore the current state of UCH protection and the benefits and limitations of the Convention for the implementation of ‘best practices’ in the management of submerged heritage. Emphasis is placed on UCH management in North America and the Mediterranean region."
In light of the Convention’s entry into force but the remaining uneven situation regarding UCH research and preservation initiatives, this panel brings together archaeologists, scientists, policy experts, and legal specialists to address threats to UCH in national and international waters and the degree of protection provided by the Convention and other law. Participants will explore the current state of UCH protection and the benefits and limitations of the Convention for the implementation of ‘best practices’ in the management of submerged heritage. Emphasis is placed on UCH management in North America and the Mediterranean region."
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Details and application form for prospective participants interested in the 2020 season of Project 'U Mari. This new field project explores the maritime heritage of southeast Sicily, examining millennia of connections across the... more
Details and application form for prospective participants interested in the 2020 season of Project 'U Mari. This new field project explores the maritime heritage of southeast Sicily, examining millennia of connections across the Mediterranean. Participants will study artifacts from shipwrecks in the area, conduct underwater survey at the ancient fishing port of Vendicari, and document the material culture and traditions of tuna fishing and contemporary voyages, considering how best to preserve and engage the public with this diverse maritime past. All diving participants need certification through Advanced Open Water (or equivalent), CPR and First Aid. Some dive training in the field may be available. Contact Justin Leidwanger (jleidwa@stanford.edu) or see the project’s Facebook page (@MarzamemiProject) for more details.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Archaeological Fieldwork, Underwater Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, and 14 moreAncient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Ancient Sicily, Sicily, Ancient Mediterranean ports, Ancient Fishing, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Ports and Harbours, and Roman Archaeology
Details and application form for prospective participants interested in the 2019 underwater excavation season on the 6th-century “church wreck” site at Marzamemi, Sicily
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Archaeological Fieldwork, and 15 moreUnderwater Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Archaeology of Mediterranean Trade, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Shipwrecks, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Ancient Sicily, Sicily, Ancient Roman economy, trade and commerce, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Roman Archaeology
Details and application form for prospective participants interested in the 2018 underwater excavation season on the 6th-century “church wreck” site at Marzamemi, Sicily
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Roman Economy, Archaeological Fieldwork, Late Roman Archaeology, Underwater Archaeology, and 9 moreNautical Archaeology, Ancient Trade & Commerce (Archaeology), Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology, Ancient Shipwrecks, Sicily, Roman Architecture, Ancient Seafaring, Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, and Roman Archaeology
Details and participant data form for those potentially interested in the 2017 excavation season on the 6th-century 'church wreck' site at Marzamemi, Sicily.