Portus Fieldwork 2007–2009

Current fieldwork is focusing upon the Palazzo Imperiale, a major and highly luxurious administrative complex on the key promontory that separates the Claudian from the Trajanic basins. Geophysical and building surveys, and environmental coring are being undertaken across the area, as well as a programme of excavation that has uncovered c 900 m2. This work is directed by Simon Keay (University of Southampton and British School at Rome) and Graeme Earl (University of Southampton), in conjunction with Fabrizio Felici (Parsifal Cooperativa, Rome), and with the very full support and collaboration of Lidia Paroli (Soprintendenza di Beni Archeologici di Ostia). The work is being funded by the AHRC and the Soprintendenza di Beni Archeologici di Ostia e Porto, and involved participants from the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge, Rome (La Sapienza), Aix-en-Provence (Centre Camille Jullian), Tarragona (Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica)and Seville. This work is central to the British School at Rome’s Roman Ports initiative and complements the University of Southampton’s involvement in the archaeology of the Roman ports of Alexandria and Myos Hormos in Egypt.

The Portus Project has also been liaising closely with two other complementary projects at the site:

1. The excavation of a sprawling cemetery area to the north-east of the Palazzo Imperiale (F. Felici, Parsifal Cooperativa, Rome), with a large number of burials dating to the early imperial period.

2. The analysis of the standing structures of the Terme della Lanterna on the large east-west mole that separates the Canale al Imbocco del Porto di Traiano and the Claudian Basin (L. Paroli, G. Ricci)