Roman Sicily Project. Ceramics and Trade. A multidisciplinary approach to the study of material culture assemblages. First overview. The transport amphorae evidence

The paper presents an first general overview and some preliminary considerations of the «Roman Sicily Project», an ongoing multidisciplinary research project led by the Italian National Research Council. Its main objective is to concentrate on the economic trends evident from the production and importation of transport amphorae (in a first stage) found in Roman Sicily. Its other aim is to establish the degree to which local and imported ceramics reflect the broader, complex phenomena of long-distance trade within the Mediterranean basin. From this first overview starts to emerge some regional economic patterns and concepts of micro and macroeconomic aspects which existed in the context of the Sicilian province. The general background is the wider context of geopolitical and social context to which will be added a rich series of data. This data will be available as soon on the website of the project www.romansicilyproject.org.