Maritime Archaeology

The talk

The maritime archaeology of the Roman Empire encompasses the study of underwater cultural heritage related to ancient Roman maritime activities, including shipwrecks, port structures, and submerged settlements. This presentation looks at key sites such as the harbours of Ostia and Portus, the shipwrecks of the Mediterranean, and other provincial harbours and coastal settlements that help in providing insight into the economic, technological and cultural exchanges that shaped the Roman Empire.

The speaker

Landscape and coastal archaeologist Michael J Curtis is Course & Business Development Director and Lifelong Learning Tutor at My Ancient World Learning Ltd.Since 2015 his academic research interests have been focused on the maritime landscape of Hellenistic and Roman Crete, on which he has presented widely, and the late Iron Age and Roman Catuvellauni tribe. His doctoral research at the University of Leicester is focussed on the Roman Imperial ports and harbours of Crete. Michael is a lead member in a Greek-led project to survey and investigate the Roman Harbour and its coastal hinterland at Ierapetra (anc. Hierapytna), in eastern Crete. He is a trustee and Executive Board member of the Nautical Archaeological Society, Chair of Northamptonshire Archaeology Society, and a co-owner of Rushden Escape Rooms.