The Economy: Trade, Commerce, Industries & Occupations
Trade• The majority of
archaeological evidence of Pompeian imports and exports comes from pottery
• Pompeii was ideally positioned for trade
• Harbour facilities gave access to the Mediterranean shipping and the Sarno River gave access to the smaller towns around Campania
• Luxury villas around the Bay of Naples could be reached by boat or road
• Although goods of Pompeian origin have been found throughout the Roman Empire, the products Mediterranean regions have been discovered within the city itself
• The evidence suggests that import/export trade was extensive• Recent investigations of Pompeian pottery show that export of Pompeian products
was limited, the most well known exports were wine, olive oil and garum
Trade
• Workshop production was on a small scale , only a few goods were produced for export
• Producers in Pompeii traded their wares with negotiatores, in exchange for goods from other regions of the empire
• Thus Pompeian goods were transported from one location to another for sale
Trade
• Traders in both Puteoli and Rome were responsible for the distribution of Pompeian products throughout the empire
• Pottery analysis shows that Pompeians imported a limited range of goods:– Lamps from the northern parts of Italy– Pottery from Gaul– Oil from southern Spain– Wine from Sicily, Spain and Crete
Trade