The Atlantic Roman Trade During the Principate: New Evidence From the Western Façade

Abstract

Summary In this paper new evidence is presented for long‐distance trade in the western Atlantic in the Roman period, chiefly from Augustus to the second century AD, on the basis of documented shipwrecks and numerous amphora types. Well‐dated contexts from northern Portugal and Spain, as well as similar sites in northern France and Germany, suggest a thriving trade of amphora‐borne commodities during the Principate. The Atlantic route was initially developed during Augustus' campaigns against the Cantabri and Astures, and later consolidated with the exploitation of the mines in the north‐west of the Iberian Peninsula. Supplying the Roman armies in the German Limes gave a new impetus to this commercial route, complemented by the conquest of Britain.

Hispania and the Atlantic Route in Roman Times: new Approaches to Ports and Trade

“…Recently, various shipwrecks have been found along the Atlantic coast of Hispania , at Cala de Asturiaga, close to Irún, in the Basque Country (Urteaga , 202–4) or near Cortegada Island and in Cabo de Mar and Punta Udra, in Galicia (Naveiro , 63–7, fig. 14; Carreras and Morais, , 425–6). Only two shipwrecks from the Augustan period have been found in Portugal, one of which is located at Cortiçais (Peniche) (Carreras and Morais , 426–7).…”

“…14; Carreras and Morais, , 425–6). Only two shipwrecks from the Augustan period have been found in Portugal, one of which is located at Cortiçais (Peniche) (Carreras and Morais , 426–7). Recently, another shipwreck was found in Esposende, northern Portugal (Morais et al .…”

“…It was not until the late 1980s that attitudes towards the relevance of commercial trade on the Atlantic Ocean, and its influence in terms of the inclusion of these regions in the Roman world, changed in Spanish archaeology. In Spain, works by Remesal (), Naveiro (), Fernández Ochoa and Morillo (; ), Iglesias Gil (), Chic García (), Fernández Ochoa (), Carreras and Funari (), Millán León (), Carreras (), Fernández Ochoa (), Morillo (; ), Urteaga and Noain (), González Ruibal () and Carreras and Morais (; ) set the framework for research in this field. The same occurred in Portugal, with scholars such as Mantas (), Cunliffe (), Blot (; 2011), Fabião () and Viegas (), along with the above‐mentioned works by Carreras and Morais (; ).…”

“…In Spain, works by Remesal (), Naveiro (), Fernández Ochoa and Morillo (; ), Iglesias Gil (), Chic García (), Fernández Ochoa (), Carreras and Funari (), Millán León (), Carreras (), Fernández Ochoa (), Morillo (; ), Urteaga and Noain (), González Ruibal () and Carreras and Morais (; ) set the framework for research in this field. The same occurred in Portugal, with scholars such as Mantas (), Cunliffe (), Blot (; 2011), Fabião () and Viegas (), along with the above‐mentioned works by Carreras and Morais (; ). The western façade of Hispania has thus been integrated in a new, more balanced, framework of Roman trade, based on archaeological evidence.…”

“…They also argue that this link resulted in the inclusion of the Cantabrian shore in the complex structure of the Roman sea trade. Both authors base their hypotheses on the Haltern 70 Augustan amphora, found in abundance along the Lusitanian façade, and in northern Galicia, central and northern Gallia , Britannia and Germania Inferior (Carreras and Morais , 431). However, when looking carefully at the distribution of these amphorae, we notice a remarkable void around the Bay of Biscay, including both the Cantabrian and the Landes coasts, which contradicts their hypothesis (Fig.…”