Trade Winds: A Study of Roman Ceramic Trade in the Balearic Islands

Summary

The Balearic Islands, located off the coast of Spain, were occupied by the Romans beginning in 123 B.C.E. Under Roman occupation, the islands saw the development of Roman-style infrastructure and architecture in place of the pre-existing megalithic style of groups such as the Talayotic people. Sanisera and Pollentia are examples of Roman cities developed to facilitate trade and support the military needs of the empire. While excavations of the Balearic Islands have provided a wealth of data, this information is often underrepresented in Classical scholarship. An emphasis in Classical scholarship on documentary sources over the archeological record results in the marginalizing of places like the Balearics, whose archaeological records are far more robust than Classical texts convey. We argue a comprehensive contextual analysis of ceramics from these sites not only underscores the importance of the islands in Roman trade, but contributes substantially to a more holistic understanding of the Classical Roman political economy.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20724