JAT  XV (2005)

ENGLISH SUMMARIES

Piero A. Gianfrotta, Notes on Marine and Maritime Topography

An increase in underwater archaeological investigation has given rise to a wider ranging interpretation of individual finds leading to greater understanding of inter-relations and topographical meaning, both at sea and along coasts. Technical aspects of harbour structures have been researched in recent years. It is now time to look into infrastructures, such as towers, lighthouses, arcades, horrea, sheltered areas for ships, public baths, places of worship etc. and their functions. 

One important aspect of use and management of harbour areas is the custom of unloading leftovers of all kinds from quays and vessels into them, even going as far as leaving the remains of boats and, more often, useless ballast. Apart from the large scale, mostly state owned, harbour structures, there were a large number linked to private coastal properties and villae maritimae. Attention should also be devoted to “minor” evidence for coastal occupation, involving anchorages, sheltered bays (on occasion supplying fresh water), areas with damaged cargo, seasonal landing places for loading goods near production areas (wheat, wine, oil, fish etc.) and coastal quarries.

Specific aspects of marine topography concern the dynamic phases of navigation.   The “wreck cemeteries” in dangerous areas for seafaring (such as more or less visible islets and rocks) are of undoubted topographical interest. On the other hand, sheltered bays, sometimes hit by particularly strong winds, could turn into traps for the vessels seeking protection. Apart from obvious obstacles on the sea surface, there was also the danger of shallow waters with their often mobile sandy beds. Some areas with a large number of wrecked vessels were the scene of ship wrecks since they had been hit by exceptionally stormy weather. 

Straits and most promontories were subject to dense sea traffic but also had a sinister reputation for danger. Many of them had miracle working shrines, which also looked after trade. Some of these were linked to springs with healing properties. Caves used for the safety of seafarers with evidence of religious activities are also of topographical interest.   

No evidence has come to light so far of the custom of throwing overboard, which may often have been followed by “beached wrecks”, partially linked with vessels in difficulty ditched on the shore in a last attempt at salvage.  

Marco D'Agostino - Stefano Medas, Navigation in the Venetian Lagoon in the Roman Period: new evidence from underwater archaeology

The authors place the problem of navigation in the Venetian lagoon in the Roman period in the wider context of links between Ravenna and Aquileia by way of inland waterways, on the basis of written sources and archaeological evidence. They go on to describe new archaeological evidence along the probable route followed by the Fossa Popilliola (from Altinum to Iesolo), from which the name of the Island of Poveglia derives, and along other canals, equipped with cisterns, harbour structures and towers holding finds dating from the 1st century B.C. to the Middle Ages, showing the presence of a scattered ancient and prosperous settlement in a period considerably earlier than that of the foundation of Venice. 

Paolo Campagnoli - Ilaria Di Cocco - Daniela Mencucci, The Roman Harbour of Pesaro

Geomorphological analysis of the development of the Pesaro coast highlights the close connection between changes in the mouth of the River Foglia and its use as a coastal landing place as of the pre-Roman period. Likewise, historical and epigraphic evidence, as well as the important role of the Roman town of Pisaurum, foreground the function of the harbour in the town’s growth. Despite this, archaeology has provided no decisive evidence for the exact site of the ancient harbour structures. It is rather an integrated analysis of the various traces of the dried up river bed and urban development of the town that lead to dating the evolution of the river route and thus the exact position of the Roman harbour. This study has led to the conclusion that the River Foglia was already distant from the dried up river bed, on whose bank the walls of Pisaurum  were built, at the time of the laying out of the Via Flaminia, and thus in a period previous to the foundation of the town. 

Simonetta Menchelli, Firmum Picenum: town, territory and harbour system

The unearthing of large quantities of goods from all over the Mediterranean in the town itself and surrounding area shows that Fermo’s harbour system fitted in with the main trading routes. In the early Empire the presence of large numbers of bricks from the northern Adriatic area is particularly significant. These made up return journey cargoes on ships, which, as we have seen, traded in agricultural products from Picenum, especially wine and olives for Gallia Cisalpina and the provinces of Central Europe.

The landscape of villae and farms, which came into being between the late Republic and early Empire, remained stable in the following centuries and the harbours and landing places in the area continued to receive goods from the Mediterranean and the town continued to play an important economic, political-strategic role, up to the Lombard invasion and beyond.  

In conclusion, variations in the settlement pattern in Fermo, ranging from the town of Firmum Picenum, to Castellnm Firmanum, a secondary urban area acting as a harbour, lesser centres and the rural population were well linked and economically dependent on one another as were the various activities in the hinterland, on the land, in woods and pastures, and in the manufacturing and trading spheres. 

Adalberto Magnelli, The Periplus of Sicily according to Strabo: textual problems

The “Sicilian” chapter in Strabo’s, Geography 6.2.1-11 (C 265-277), in the rather restricted space of 11 sections has so much incongruence as to put comprehension of the data supplied at serious risk. Most of the textual problems concern the so-called “periplus of Sicily”, 6.2.1 (C 265). Our purpose here is to suggest a new critical philological reading of the least clear passages in the periplus, as a preliminary stage in a new examination, from the topographical viewpoint, of the land and sea communications system in Sicily in the 1st century B.C. Our textual conjectures, especially those concerning places where measurements occur, could show that several data at the author’s disposal on Sicilian communications were not so obsolete as most modern scholars maintain nor totally dependent on Greek sources. 

The very presence of comparison between numerical components deriving from Posidonius and Artemidorus and others from the concrete experience of Roman administration is all the more clear just where some coherence can be re-introduced into the text. 

Marco Destro, Ship Building and Wood Supply in Cassiodorus’ Variae 

One of the best known parts of Cassiodorus’ Variae is the series of letters in Book V (16-20) in which King Theodoric orders the building of a large fleet of 1,000 dromones in the years 525-526. Mention is made of the reasons for this project, which were both military and civil, linked to the annona, or taxation in kind, and criticism about its actual viability. One theme deserving further investigation is that of wood supply. Theodoric gives his officials exact instructions as to methods and areas of supply. Wood was not only to be taken from the area around Ravenna and along the banks of the Po, especially at the delta of the river, but also along the banks of the Mincio, Oglio, Serchio, Arno and Tiber. Thus Cassiodorus supplies us with important information on the survival to the age of the Ostrogoths of traditional forestry in Apennine areas like those in Central Italy. 

Gabriella Barbieri, Aspects of the population of the Mid Ombrone Valley in Antiquity: recent research in the area of Civitella Paganico

By means of examination of already known bibliographical and archive material, as well as the presentation of results from archaeological investigations of the last few years carried out by the Archaeological Superintendency for Tuscany, this article highlights the various aspects of the ancient population of the internal region of Etruria behind Rusellae and crossed by the River Ombrone.

Luca Pulcinelli, A Contribution to Knowledge of the Area of Late Etruscan Tarquinia

Thanks to the making of a catalogue of archaeological sites and finds and satisfactory mapping, this article aims to make a contribution to the historical-topographical reconstruction of settlements and the territorial make up of Southern Etruria between the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C., when, after a series of clashes, Roman control was gradually extended.  

Analysis focused on the area of Tarquinia, between the Lake of Bolsena, Ciminian and Tolfa Hills. In this phase the area was characterised by the overwhelming presence of important urban centres such as Tuscania, Musarna, Castel d’Asso, Norchia, Blera and San Giuliano, in some areas, related to a dense rural population. 

A specific phenomenon was the building of fortifications to defend the main settlements and small castella controlling strategically important parts of the area and border zones. The setting up of this system of defence appears to have taken place rather late, just before the last wars with Rome.