Trier researchers reveal ancient trade routes on digital atlas

Trier researchers reveal ancient trade routes on digital atlas

Digital reconstructions of ancient sea routes
Research project shows the meaning of Roman merchant shipping

An innovative research project aims to explore the ancient trade routes and the seafaring of the Roman Empire more precisely. In a remarkable undertaking, scientists from the project from Trier tested a recreated Roman merchant ship, known as "Bissula", in the Mediterranean. These test drives have provided important data that are now used to create an interactive digital route actress.

A look at the construction of the "bissula"

The ship built in the period from 2017 to 2019 under the direction of Christoph Schäfer, an old historian at the University of Trier, is 16 meters long and 5 meters wide. The construction took place with the support of students and craftsmen and represents a faithful replica. The "Bissula" was transported to the south of France in mid -September 2023 and served as a test ship for the collection of relevant data.

knowledge from test drives

The test drives in the bay before Cannes lasted for several weeks have shown that the "biteus" remains stable even with a strong waves. This remarkable stability enables researchers to create more precise simulations of the routes of the ancient captains. Schäfer describes the collected data as a "quantum leap" in the understanding of seafaring practices at the time of the Roman emperors.

meaning for modern science

The simulations based on the data make it possible to calculate realistic travel times between important trading cities such as Karthago and Rome and Rome and Alexandria. Such findings are not only important for historians, but also offer deeper insights into the trade and logistics of antiquity. The use of 20 years of weather data is intended to make travel times practically to the day, which was never possible before.

far -reaching plans for the future

However, the project is not limited to the "bissula". Researchers already have plans to reconstruct other types of ships in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of Roman maritime traffic. The testing of large models in scale one to three could further advance research. This could also include the methods for calculating and simulating routes.

conclusion and social importance

The project, supported by the German Research Foundation until 2030, has to enrich the potential and our knowledge of the economic interdependencies of the Roman Empire. The public is given direct access to these historical sea routes by the digital atlas, which is to be activated in a few weeks. This not only promotes interest in history, but also deepens the understanding of the complex trade networks of antiquity.

dpa