Portus Fieldwork 1998–2004

The 1998-2004 seasons of fieldwork comprised a geophysical survey of the port and its hinterland lying to the east (Keay, Millett, Strutt & Paroli 2005). This phase was funded by the AHRC with assistance from the Soprintendenza di Beni Archeologici di Ostia.

Three survey techniques were used to map the harbours: topographic survey, geophysics and field-walking. All these methods are rapid, allowing large areas to be covered, and non-destructive. Around 180 hectares of the site were examined, revealing a wealth of new information about the layout of the port and the ways in which it functioned during antiquity.