The Pre–Trajanic Harbour (Porto di Claudio) – Interpretation
Our work confirms that the construction of Portus was begun under Claudius, was inaugurated by Nero, and suggest that it continued to develop in the course of the 1st century AD. The very earliest phase of the port began with the construction of two canals, the southernmost of which is to be identified with the channel known today as the "Fossa Traiana" (the "canal of Trajan"), while that to the north was found in open fields in 2004. These are presumably the fossae referred to in a famous monumental inscription from the site dating to AD 46. This suggests that their initial function was connected to relieving the periodic flooding of the Tiber that caused havoc in Rome, as well as being in some way integral to the construction of the port. In practical terms, they would have enabled the area of the future port to be kept free of Tiber floods during its construction. The next stage would have seen the construction of the great outer basin at the north end of the complex, mentioned by the ancient sources, together with an inner basin known to archaeologists today as the Darsena, as well as buildings on its north, west and southern sides(Fig. 1). It seems likely that the primary function of the outer basin, at least to start with, was to act as a haven for sea-going ships. The only early structures still visible today are the ruins of a large open piazza (known today as the Foro Olitorio), and a monumental portico (known today as the Portico di Claudio) (Fig 2 & Fig 3). The Darsena probably served as the inner harbour where goods could be unloaded, while the piazza and other buildings were involved in the storage and transhipment of goods to Rome and Ostia. It was linked to the Tiber by a canal which lies to its east, beyond which were further buildings associated with the early port, even though we know little about them.
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| Fig 2. Portico Di Claudio on the West side of the Claudian Harbour, which would have opened onto the harbour basin | Fig 3. View of the Portico Di Claudio looking North-East |
This burgeoning port was connected to the Tiber, and ultimately Rome, by the "Fossa Traiana". It is also possible that it was connected to Rome by a road, the Via Campana, although there is as yet no hard evidence. It was also fed by an aqueduct which ran from Ponte Galeria to the south-eastern quarter of Portus. Furthermore, some two kilometres to the east of the port was found evidence for some kind of river port and associated monumental tombs facing on to the Tiber. Less is known about the connections between Portus and Ostia at this time, although we know that the two ports were connected by a road in the late 1st century AD (the Via Flavia). All the indications are that the former was dependant upon the latter administratively, and that its functions as a major port grew only gradually.
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