Roman Shipwrecks and a Maritime Bottleneck in the Aegean Sea

Thursday, 30 Mar 2023 at 6:00 pm – Sun Room, Memorial Union

Dan Davis is an associate professor of Classics at Luther College. He earned his PhD in Classics from the University of Texas at Austin and specializes in maritime archaeology. He has served as a marine archaeologist for expeditions of Robert Ballard's E/V/ Nautilus, senior staff archaeologist for the Caesarea City and Harbor Exploration Project, and Scientific Recovery Expert for the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency. He has published on Mediterranean and Black Sea shipwrecks, navigation, and economic history.

Professor Davis will discuss two Roman shipwrecks that were discovered and remotely documented in deep water in the southeast Aegean by the E/V Nautilus expedition. These shipwrecks shed light on the distribution of Rhodian wine in the early Roman Empire as well as a treacherous maritime corridor. Dr. Davis’ research shows how scientists, engineers, and humanists can work together to make important discoveries. We anticipate that his lecture will appeal to a broad cross-section of the ISU community, and especially to those with an interest in Roman culture, seafaring, archaeology, and economic/food systems.