The Archaeology of the Roman Economy

Archaeology provides a wealth of new information about the Roman empire and much of it relates to geographical areas, social classes and aspects of life which received little attention from Roman writers, most of whom belonged to the Italian aristocracy. After a brief introduction to current interpretations of the Roman economy, the author considers two fundamental aspects - transport and coinage. The cost and feasability of trade by land, river and sea are examined, as well as the role which money fulfilled in commerce. Evidence which helps to elucidate agriculture is presented, ranging from plant remains to climatic change. Agriculture is placed into the context of settlement patterns by means of the results of recent archaeological surveys conducted all around the empire, which have important implications for the economy as a whole. The book concludes with an account of the use of clay, stone and metal as raw materials for Roman crafts and industries. Specially prepared maps, diagrams and photographs help this book to demonstrate the effectiveness of a combined approach to the Roman economy involving archaeology, history and other disciplines such as geography and anthropology.
The book is aimed at archaeologists, historians and economists. Kevin Greene is also the author of "Archaeology: An Introduction".