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Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route (Volume 18) (California World History Library) Paperback – April 16, 2019

by Steven E. Sidebotham (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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The legendary overland silk road was not the only way to reach Asia for ancient travelers from the Mediterranean. During the Roman Empire’s heyday, equally important maritime routes reached from the Egyptian Red Sea across the Indian Ocean. The ancient city of Berenike, located approximately 500 miles south of today’s Suez Canal, was a significant port among these conduits. In this book, Steven E. Sidebotham, the archaeologist who excavated Berenike, uncovers the role the city played in the regional, local, and “global” economies during the eight centuries of its existence. Sidebotham analyzes many of the artifacts, botanical and faunal remains, and hundreds of the texts he and his team found in excavations, providing a profoundly intimate glimpse of the people who lived, worked, and died in this emporium between the classical Mediterranean world and Asia.
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  1. Print length
    456 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of California Press
  4. Publication date
    April 16, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 0.9 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0520303385
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0520303386
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This highly readable, indeed exciting, book explores numerous aspects of ancient Berenike.” ― American Journal Of Archaeology Published On: 2012-07-16

“A remarkably detailed picture of the Egyptian business world along the Red Sea and Indian coast. . . . Many historians will be grateful.” -- Wim Broekaert ― Bryn Mawr Classical Review (BMCR) Published On: 2011-07-05

“[A] fascinating story.” ― Times Literary Supplement (TLS) Published On: 2011-10-01

“The detail of data is remarkable, and one is left with excellent understanding of life in this remote city.” -- Duane W. Roller ― American Journal Of Archaeology Published On: 2012-04-01

“Sidebotham tells the fascinating story of how this isolated harbour site owed its existence to long-range commerce.” -- David Mattingly ― Times Higher Education Published On: 2011-10-28

From the Inside Flap

For almost a millennium, from its foundation in the third century BCE to late antiquity, the Red Sea port of Berenike was a key part of the sea route that linked the Mediterranean to South Asia. The excavations conducted by Professor Sidebotham and his international team have provided unprecedented detail about the urban history of Berenike, the lives of its inhabitants, its role in the spice trade, and the products that passed through its port. Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route is a major contribution to world historical scholarship that will fundamentally change our understanding of ancient trade in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

Stanley M. Burstein, California State University, Los Angeles

With singular focus and an indefatigable spirit, Sidebotham has pursued the remote and difficult site of Berenike. After ten excavation seasons, only a portion of the site has been excavated, but the dividends have been magnificent, yielding exciting new archeological evidence that illuminates the flourishing maritime sea trade in antiquity beyond any reasonable expectation. Sidebotham places Bernike in the larger contextual framework and considers it from every possible angle, including the transportation lattice that connected Berenike with the Nile, its relations with other emporia, the merchant ships used, the exotic trade items it received, and a fascinating explanation of the demise of Berenike and global trade in the sixth century. This engrossing analysis is destined to become the standard source for all who are interested in the international trade of antiquity.

David F. Graf, author of Rome and the Arabian Frontier: from the Nabataeans to the Saracens

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (April 16, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 456 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520303385
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520303386
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.74 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.9 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

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Steven E. Sidebotham

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Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

E. N. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable archaeological resource
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
This very thorough work of archaeology and history should forever establish Berenike as one of the critically important cities in world history. In the time of the Ptolemies and the Roman Empire, it was a major spice port, often THE major one, for the Greco-Roman world. It also handled all manner of goods, up to and including elephants. How the elephants got over the Sahara to the Nile Valley, and what they did for feed and water, remains unclear. As Roman writers kept emphasizing, the amount of spice imported from India and southeast Asia was enormous--an incredible trade. Sidebotham hints at the intellectual influences that must have come with the spices. Indeed, Greek, Near Eastern, and Indian philosophies and religions influenced each other enormously (as shown by Thomas McEvilley among others), and we should all be more aware of this.
3 people found this helpful
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Liz T
5.0 out of 5 stars An accessible account full of fascinating finds and careful analysis
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2011
This volume chronicles the excavation of Berenike, an ancient Egyptian port and a gateway for Roman subjects making epic trade voyages into the Indian Ocean. The book is an intriguing read, an accessible account full of fascinating finds and careful analysis that are supported by plenty of detailed maps and a large bibliography that researchers new to the subject will find very useful.

The modern site of ancient Berenike, on the shores of the Red Sea, is an abandoned desert ruin buried beneath centuries of sand and silt. But, since 1994 Professor Sidebotham has led an international team of researchers in the excavation of the port. The study presented in this book combines testimony from the sources with a range of extraordinary new archaeological discoveries - many of which will be little known, even to experts who have been following the topic.

In thirteen detailed chapters, Professor Sidebotham traces the development of Berenike and its place within the `global economy' that developed two thousand years ago. Sidebotham offers many intriguing insights into life at the ancient port, from its foundation by the Ptolemaic rulers who built a harbour to bring in war elephants, to the rise and fall of Rome's vibrant international commerce. His enquiries reveal the conditions of travel along the busy caravan routes that linked Berenike to the Nile, the role of the Roman military in the Eastern Desert, the conduct of ancient business arrangements in Berenike, and even the presence of distant foreigners at the port. Other important chapters consider the network of trade ports that linked Berenike to ancient India and suggest what new archaeological evidence can reveal about the Roman ships that undertook these distant voyages. Finally, Professor Sidebotham introduces some new theories concerning the scale and value of this international commerce - ideas that have significant implications for the Roman economy and its revenues. I would definately recommend this book to anyone studying Roman commerce, or to those with an interest in ancient archaeology
11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Dagmar
5.0 out of 5 stars magnifico
Reviewed in Italy on April 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
L'autore scrive con la stessa attenzione a ogni dettaglio di un territorio di cui chiaramente conosce ogni metro come ha fatto negli altri volumi riguardanti il deserto orientale (Roman economic policy in the Erythra Thalassa; The Red Land)
Adesso con " Berenike" al cui scavo ha personalmente partecipato completa l'informazione sulle vie carovaniere, punti d'acqua, dazi e dogane
della zona.
Lo scavo di Berenike e naturalmente piu sommario, essendo stato interrotto per disordini politici, ma la pianta della citta, del porto, del suo insabbiamento danno piu informazione di quello che si sapeva.
Il volume contiene perfette piante di percorsi
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Liz T
5.0 out of 5 stars An accessible account full of fascinating finds and careful analysis
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2011
Verified Purchase
This volume chronicles the excavation of Berenike, an ancient Egyptian port and a gateway for Roman subjects making epic trade voyages into the Indian Ocean. The book is an intriguing read, an accessible account full of fascinating finds and careful analysis that are supported by plenty of detailed maps and a large bibliography that researchers new to the subject will find very useful.

The modern site of ancient Berenike, on the shores of the Red Sea, is an abandoned desert ruin buried beneath centuries of sand and silt. But, since 1994 Professor Sidebotham has led an international team of researchers in the excavation of the port. The study presented in this book combines testimony from the sources with a range of extraordinary new archaeological discoveries - many of which will be little known, even to experts who have been following the topic.

In thirteen detailed chapters, Professor Sidebotham traces the development of Berenike and its place within the `global economy' that developed two thousand years ago. Sidebotham offers many intriguing insights into life at the ancient port, from its foundation by the Ptolemaic rulers who built a harbour to bring in war elephants, to the rise and fall of Rome's vibrant international commerce. His inquiries reveal the conditions of travel along the busy caravan routes that linked Berenike to the Nile, the role of the Roman military in the Eastern Desert, the conduct of ancient business arrangements in Berenike, and even the presence of distant foreigners at the port. Other important chapters consider the network of trade ports that linked Berenike to ancient India and suggest what new archaeological evidence can reveal about the Roman ships that undertook these distant voyages. Finally, Professor Sidebotham introduces some new theories concerning the scale and value of this international commerce - ideas that have significant implications for the Roman economy and its revenues. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone studying Roman commerce, or to those with an interest in ancient archaeology."
3 people found this helpful
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sandra g.
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything on the spice route
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
The book discusses the importance of Berenike, the contacts with other parts of the ancient world and the ancient trade. Very interesting and full of information.
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