Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route (Volume 18) (California World History Library)

"The legendary overland silk road was not the only way to reach Asia for ancient travelers from the Mediterranean. During the Roman Empire's heyday, equally important maritime routes reached from the Egyptian Red Sea across the Indian Ocean. The ancient city of Berenike, located approximately 500 miles south of today's Suez Canal, was a significant port among these conduits. In this book, Steven E. Sidebotham, the archaeologist who excavated Berenike, uncovers the role the city played in the regional, local, and "global" economies during the eight centuries of its existence. Sidebotham analyzes many of the artifacts, botanical and faunal remains, and hundreds of the texts he and his team found in excavations, providing a profoundly intimate glimpse of the people who lived, worked, and died in this emporium between the classical Mediterranean world and Asia."-- Provided by publisher

The legendary overland silk road was not the only way to reach Asia for ancient travelers from the Mediterranean. During the Roman Empire's heyday, equally important maritime routes reached from the Egyptian Red Sea across the Indian Ocean. The ancient city of Berenike, located approximately 500 miles south of today's Suez Canal, was a significant port among these conduits.
In this book, Steven E. Sidebotham, the archaeologist who excavated Berenike, uncovers the role the city played in the regional, local, and global economies during the eight centuries of its existence. Sidebotham analyzes many of the artifacts, botanical and faunal remains, and hundreds of the texts he and his team found in excavations, providing a profoundly intimate glimpse of the people who lived, worked, and died in this emporium between the classical Mediterranean world and Asia.

Frontmatter List of Figures (page vii) Preface and Acknowledgments (page xi) List of Abbreviations (page xiii) 1. Introduction (page 1) 2. Geography, Climate, Ancient Authors, and Modern Visitors (page 7) 3. Pre-Roman Infrastructure in the Eastern Desert (page 21) 4. Ptolemaic Diplomatic-Military-Commercial Activities (page 32) 5. Ptolemaic and Early Roman Berenike and Environs (page 55) 6. Inhabitants of Berenike in Roman Times (page 68) 7. Water in the Desert and the Ports (page 87) 8. Nile—Red Sea Roads (page 125) 9. Other Emporia (page 175) 10. Merchant Ships (page 195) 11. Commercial Networks and Trade Costs (page 206) 12. Trade in Roman Berenike (page 221) 13. Late Roman Berenike and Its Demise (page 259) Notes (page 283) Bibliography (page 355) Index (page 425)