Comments on: Roman ships at Portus

By: David jackson

David jackson — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:24:14 +0000

The CGI pictured mooring ring stones, so I guess moored would be better.

With a modern vessel it cannot be anchored when stationary; the anchor needs to be moving so that it ploughs into the sea bed. Perhaps the ancient stone anchors just depended on their weight, which would lead to many losses in stormy weather.

By: David jackson

David jackson — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:19:32 +0000

I too thought that five a day seemed low. Do we have any idea what the turn-round time for a typical vessel was? The vast size of the hexagonal basin suggests that it could hold a lot of ships, so at the given rate they would have been moored up for a long time! Were there many mechanical aids, or did every sack and jar and log have to be carried out by stevadores?

Until the advent of containers in modern shipping, the turnaround could be a week or more. Now it can be a few hours. I guess the Roman rate would have been nearer the former.

By: Caroline Sue Raybin

Caroline Sue Raybin — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 04:52:42 +0000

Since grain was essential to the diet, I would imagine that if shipping were seasonal, large warehouses would have been needed to hold surplus grain for distribution during the months of inclement sea weather. Protection from vermin would have been very important!

By: Don Vincent

Don Vincent — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 09:38:24 +0000

If building 5 was used for repair or construction of ships is there any evidence of a dry dock?

By: Cynthia Grove

Cynthia Grove — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 01:33:27 +0000

Interesting. I always thought (on the rare occasions I needed to) that one (draught) crept under doors and the other (draft) indicated space taken or a method of selecting personnel. Now I am confused!

By: Antonio Nombela

Antonio Nombela — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 19:57:47 +0000

Hi, as Spanish, I would like to know about the evidences on Spanish origin goods found at Portus.

By: curtis

curtis — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 08:58:38 +0000

With respect to exports—I suspect that there were a lot of exports inasmuch as it would not have made economic sense to send back empty ships to wherever their ports of origin were. I’m not sure such ships required ballast but I suspect that such ships might make port in various places before returning with its “mother port”.

By: Rob Wilson

Rob Wilson — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 10:53:28 +0000

This is really great .I imagine the grain fleets coming from Egypt and Africa got priority coming into port because
of there size and what they carried . Food for Rome .

By: Valerie Appleby

Valerie Appleby — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 20:10:40 +0000

Presumably some of the cargos would also have been seasonal, grain being an obvious example.

By: Zena Massey

Zena Massey — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 14:55:44 +0000

Thank you for the extra article – I thought the reliefs were very good at bringing the info to life.