Portus Project

Portus was the most important maritime port of the Roman Empire. Emperor Claudius established it in the mid first century AD to improve limited anchorage at Ostia and reduce the risk of flooding on the lower Tiber. Trajan greatly expanded it in one of the largest engineering projects of the Empire, with port installations covering up to 6.54 km².

Portus supplied Rome with food and other resources from across the Mediterranean throughout the year. Development continued through the second and third centuries, then gradually contracted from the mid fifth into the sixth century AD.

The Portus Project is a long-term research initiative examining the character and development of the port and its relationship to Ostia, Rome and the wider Mediterranean. It built on a major geophysical survey conducted between 1998 and 2004, and included eight seasons of excavation and geoarchaeological study from 2007, together with extensive geophysical survey. Fieldwork concluded in 2021. Analysis continues into human bone, sculpture, ceramics, small finds and environmental remains from the port.

Following Simon Keay’s passing in 2021, Dragana Mladenović remains the principal point of contact for Portus Project enquiries and is overseeing publication of the three planned volumes.

Explore the research

This website documents the work of the Portus Project and related research at the ancient harbour. The Topography section describes the harbour layout, individual buildings and the results of early survey work. Methods covers excavation, geophysical survey, conservation, finds analysis and computer-based reconstruction. The Portus and Ostia: Rome's twin harbours page explains how the two harbour sites worked together to supply the capital. The Period pages trace how the port changed from the Claudian foundation through the Trajanic expansion, the later second century, the Severan period and late antiquity. Outputs lists interim excavation reports from 2007 to 2019. The Education section includes a virtual tour, field school information and the Portus MOOC.

A list of project outputs can be found here.