Description
Book SynopsisThis innovative monograph series reflects a vigorous revival of interest in the ancient economy, focusing on the Mediterranean world under Roman rule (c.100 BC to AD 350). Carefully quantified archaeological and documentary data will be integrated to help ancient historians, economic historians, and archaeologists think about economic behaviour collectively rather than from separate perspectives. The volumes will include a substantial comparative element and thus be of interest to historians of other periods and places. The use of stone in vast quantities is a ubiquitous and defining feature of the material culture of the Roman world. In this volume, Russell provides a new and wide-ranging examination of the production, distribution, and use of carved stone objects throughout the Roman world, including how enormous quantities of high-quality white and polychrome marbles were moved all around the Mediterranean to meet the demand for exotic material.The long-distance supply of materials
Trade ReviewRussell's thought-provoking new study of the economics of the Roman stone trade in the first three centuries AD reassesses the evidence for the structure and organisation of this trade, tracing the production process from the quarry to the final consumer ... [an] important and timely reappraisal of the Roman stone trade * Claire Holleran, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
Russell has written an important, useful, and thorough study of the many varied aspects of the Roman commerce in stone. * Michael Koortbojian, Classical Journal Online *
Russell's book brings together an enormous amount of archaeological, historical and archaeometric data and puts forwards some important new hypotheses on the Roman stone trade. * Devi Taelman, Antiquity *
Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; NOTE TO READER ; ABBREVIATIONS ; LIST OF FIGURES ; 1. Introduction ; 2. The Market for Stone ; 3. Quarrying ; 4. Stone Transport ; 5. Distribution Patterns ; 6. Building and Stone Supply ; 7. The Sarcophagus Trade ; 8. Statue Production ; 9. Final Remarks ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX
