Network Connectivity in the Third Century BC Western Mediterranean

Archaeological remnants of the amphora trade offer evidence of continuity and adaptability of Western Mediterranean maritime trade in the third century BC. This text applies principles of network theory modeling to the third century BC to map trade connections between Iberia, Southern Gaul, Northern Africa and Italy and Sicily with particular interest in how the Punic Wars and the changing political atmospheres and hegemonies of these regions affect production and distribution of amphorae, representative of a wider range of trade goods. I employ an approach which considers both multiple sites and multiple types of amphorae, utilizing the information afforded by the earlier studies, publications and archeological evidence of a narrower scope, to view multiple players or nodes and a wide network of connections between them. A secondary objective of my research has been to demonstrate the value of applying a network theory approach to the Western Mediterranean in the third century BC while laying the foundation of historiographic and archaeological evidence for "international relations" and trade to provide both justification and support for future studies.

Pages: 72, Paperback, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing