Encyclopaedia of Underwater Archaeology, Vol 4 "Barbarian Seas : Late Rome to Islam"

Between the 4th and 7th centuries AD the Roman world order started to fragment as Vandals, Goths and Persians rattled at the gates of the Empire. As medieval and Islamic markets started to replace the ordered Roman city, so maritime trade underwent a nautical revolution unparalleled in 1,7000 years of seafaring. The division of the Late Roman Empire between Rome and Constantinople created a multitude of bustling new markets as the backwaters of the eastern Mediterranean became vibrant sea-lanes. In the place of meticulously built merchant vessels emerged cheaper styles of ship construction, ushering in the collapse of state exchange and the rise of the entrepreneur.

During the last 10 years the discovery of shipwrecks as far afield as Italy, Sardinia, the Sea of Marmara, the Black sea, Israel and Eritrea has transformed our picture of the maritime history of Late Antiquity. In this volume the marine archaeologists directing the excavations of dozens of shipwrecks bring these exciting new cargoes and wooden ships to life.

Periplus Publishing London Ltd
Price: 25 euros
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