McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research The Isola Sacra Survey: Ostia, Portus and the port system of Imperial Rome

Product Description The Isola Sacra occupies the land between Ostia and Portus at the mouth of the Tiber, and thus lies at the centre of the massive port complex that served Imperial Rome. The area has been the focus of archaeological research since the 16th century, but has never before been the subject of an integrated survey. This volume focuses on the results of a survey completed between 2002 and 2012 as part of the Portus Project. It complements our previous survey of Portus (2005) and the forthcoming publication of the German Archaeological Institute’s survey of Ostia. It included a fluxgate gradiometer survey of all the available open ground on the island (c 98 ha), as well as selective Ground-Penetrating Radar survey and an analysis of satellite and aerial photographic images. A presentation of these results is set against an analysis of the geomorphology of the delta, and integrated with information from past excavations in the area. It is complemented by a programme of geoarchaeological coring and a short account of the ships excavated on the Isola Sacra in 2011. These results are key for understanding the development of Portus-Ostia complex, and hence the economy of the City of Rome itself. About the Author Professor Simon Keay is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton and a Fellow of the British Academy. He specialises in the archaeology of the Roman Empire, with particular interests in Italy and Iberia, Roman Mediterranean ports and commerce and culture change. He has directed a range of excavations and surveys in Italy, Spain and Turkey.Professor Martin Millett is the Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College and a Fellow of the British Academy. His research focuses on the social and economic archaeology of the Roman world and the application of survey methods in archaeology, and has involved fieldwork in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Italy.Dr Kris Strutt is an Experimental Officer in Archaeology at the University of Southampton.Dr Paola Germoni is Funzionario Archeologo at the Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica. She has responsibility for the management of the archaeology in the Isola Sacra for many years, and is author of many articles on recent archaeological discoveries.