Lunch Club provides affiliates of the Stanford Archaeology Center with a community-oriented forum for engagement with current issues in archaeology. On January 28, 2026,  we will host Dr. Naseem Raad from American University of Beirut

Abstract:
The Roman Mediterranean comprised a vast web of interconnected maritime commercial networks operating across multiple scales. These trade routes enabled the large-scale distribution of wine, olive oil, and other agricultural products transported in amphorae. This talk presents recent research that strives to better understand the decision-making processes of the seafarers who sustained this commerce. This work applies geocomputational methods to model the most efficient sailing routes for Roman cargo ships across different times, days, and seasons. The models are derived from wind and current data, which are translated into sailing speeds and, ultimately, transport costs. These “natural” optimal routes are then compared with amphora distributions and historical evidence from selected port sites which represent the routes that were materially realized by ancient mariners. By juxtaposing modeled efficiency with archaeological reality, this study aims to reveal how environmental conditions, economic incentives, and human agency collectively shaped maritime trade in Antiquity.The Roman Mediterranean comprised a vast web of interconnected maritime commercial networks operating across multiple scales. These trade routes enabled the large-scale distribution of wine, olive oil, and other agricultural products transported in amphorae. This talk presents recent research that strives to better understand the decision-making processes of the seafarers who sustained this commerce. This work applies geocomputational methods to model the most efficient sailing routes for Roman cargo ships across different times, days, and seasons. The models are derived from wind and current data, which are translated into sailing speeds and, ultimately, transport costs. These “natural” optimal routes are then compared with amphora distributions and historical evidence from selected port sites which represent the routes that were materially realized by ancient mariners. By juxtaposing modeled efficiency with archaeological reality, this study aims to reveal how environmental conditions, economic incentives, and human agency collectively shaped maritime trade in Antiquity.