The Economy: Trade, Commerce, Industries & Occupations

Trade• The majority of

archaeological evidence of Pompeian imports and exports comes from pottery

• Pompeii was ideally positioned for trade

• Harbour facilities gave access to the Mediterranean shipping and the Sarno River gave access to the smaller towns around Campania

• Luxury villas around the Bay of Naples could be reached by boat or road

• Although goods of Pompeian origin have been found throughout the Roman Empire, the products Mediterranean regions have been discovered within the city itself

• The evidence suggests that import/export trade was extensive• Recent investigations of Pompeian pottery show that export of Pompeian products

was limited, the most well known exports were wine, olive oil and garum

Trade

• Workshop production was on a small scale , only a few goods were produced for export

• Producers in Pompeii traded their wares with negotiatores, in exchange for goods from other regions of the empire

• Thus Pompeian goods were transported from one location to another for sale

Trade

• Traders in both Puteoli and Rome were responsible for the distribution of Pompeian products throughout the empire

• Pottery analysis shows that Pompeians imported a limited range of goods:– Lamps from the northern parts of Italy– Pottery from Gaul– Oil from southern Spain– Wine from Sicily, Spain and Crete

Trade