Berenike Trogodytica was one of the key harbours on the Red Sea coast during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods and was a major trade and exchange hub connecting the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. Berenike’s geographical position was extraordinarily propitious owing partly to its natural harbours, protected against the prevailing northern winds, as well as its location in the vicinity of an ancient viewshed, the large peninsula of Ras Benas. This paper discusses how multifaceted geoarchaeological approaches to the study of ancient ports can contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms and logistics of maritime trade, as well as fluctuations in its quality and quantity. It also sheds new light on the significance of the effect that local and regional palaeoclimatic, landscape, seascape and environmental changes had on the development and decline of the port, and its changing role within the Red Sea–Indian Ocean maritime network.
The harbor of Berenike on the Red Sea coast of Egypt was a major transit point in the long-distance trade of luxury commodities between the Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean Basin. The heyday of the commerce and the prosperity of the port lasted from the 1st to the mid-2nd century AD. A huge quantity of commodities passed through the port, imported not only for the purpose of exchange, but also for self-consumption. Glassware was among them. The high proportion of wares of high quality and exceptional esthetic value is quite extraordinary, even by modern standards. These wares highlight the position of Berenike in the trade, but they also showcase the city’s wealth and the great demand for luxury glass that existed there in the first centuries of the Roman Empire
W pierwszych wiekach po Chrystusie, subkontynent indyjski wszedł w orbitę handlowych zainteresowań państwa rzymskiego. Przedmiotem wymiany był szereg towarów, wśród których znalazły się rzymskie monety. Ich napływ dokumentują liczne znaleziska, a także przekazy autorów antycznych. Jednym z terytoriów, na którym rejestrujemy dość licznie znaleziska monet rzymskich, jest teren wczesnohistorycznej Andhry. Odkryte tu egzemplarze, znajdowane są w różnych kontekstach, co wskazuje na ich różnorodne zastosowanie. Skarby monet srebrnych i złotych pozwalają na obserwację kolejnych fal napływu rzymskiego pieniądza, co potwierdzają także znaleziska innych kategorii – luźne i osadnicze. Wewnętrzne zróżnicowanie tych ostatnich pozwoliło też na określenie ich wzajemnych relacji i tendencji w cyrkulacji. Obserwacje materiału numizmatycznego i analiza źródeł wskazuje, że rzymskie monety, mogły mieć w Andhrze, czy szerzej w Indiach, funkcję środka wymiany, czy płatności, ale także odgrywać rolę kruszcową i prestiżową. Czas napływu rzymskiego pieniądza wskazuje, że był on związany przede wszystkim z okresem władania w Andhrze dynastii Satawahanów. Niewielka liczba zarejestrowanych monet rzymskich w relacji do terytorium i jego roli w handlu wskazuje, że monety były tylko jednym, zapewne nie kluczowym elementem handlu indo-rzymskiego.
EN
In the first centuries after Christ, the Indian subcontinent entered the orbit of the Roman state’s trade interests. The subject of the exchange was a number of goods, including Roman coins. Their influx is documented by numerous finds as well as by ancient authors. One of the territories where we register quite a large number of Roman coin finds is the area of early historical Andhra. The specimens discovered here are found in various contexts, indicating their various applications. The hoards of silver and gold coins allow the observation of successive waves of the influx of Roman money, which is also confirmed by the finds of other categories – stray and settlement. The internal differentiation of the latter also allowed to define their mutual relations and tendencies in circulation. Observations of numismatic material and analysis of sources indicate that Roman coins could have had the function of a medium of exchange or payment in Andhra or, more broadly, India, but also played a bullion and prestigious role. The time of the influx of Roman money indicates that it was associated primarily with the period of the Satavahana Empire in Andhra. The essentially small number of registered Roman coins in relation to the territory and its role in trade indicates that the coins were only one, perhaps not a key element of Indo-Roman trade.
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