This study (the second volume in the Archaeopress series devoted to
the publication of ceramics in the Roman Mediterranean and outlying
territories from the late Republic to late Antiquity) addresses the
level of interregional trade of ceramic building material (CBM),
traditionally seen as a high bulk low value commodity, within the
ancient Mediterranean between the third century BC and the seventh
century AD. It examines the impact of different modes of
production, distribution and consumption of CBM and how
archaeological assemblages differ from what is predicted by current
models of the ancient economy. It also explores how CBM can be used
to investigate cultural identity and urban form. CBM has great
potential in investigating these topics. It survives in large
quantities in the archaeological record; it is transported as a
commodity in its own right, not as a container for other products
like amphorae. The amount of CBM used in a building can be
estimated, and this can be extrapolated to urban centres to model
consumption in ways that are not possible for other goods. This
allows the potential derivation of economic information to a higher
level of precision than is the case for other materials. The
material used in this study derives from stratified assemblages
from two major ports of the ancient Mediterranean: Carthage and
Beirut. CBM as a material is comparable to pottery, only it does
not exhibit the same range of forms. This leaves fabric as a major
means of analysing CBM samples. For this reason a programme of
petrological thin sectioning has been carried out on these
assemblages. These data have been combined with the taphonomic and
dating evidence from the excavations. The results showed that the
levels of imports of CBM into these two cities were much higher
than would normally be expected from the orthodox model of the
consumer city. They also suggest that CBM can be used as a tool to
investigate cultural identity.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
