Maritime Networks

Abstract

Abstract The ease of movement by sea, particularly over longer distances and with bulky loads, situates maritime networks centrally within the study of large-scale interaction in many past societies. Because these connections were deeply bound not only to environmental and technological factors but also to social, economic, and political processes, maritime network approaches represent simultaneously spatial and social phenomena. This chapter selectively surveys maritime network studies to identify the challenges and opportunities they present, from their dynamic environments to the archaeological datasets—moving objects, ports, ships—on which they are often based. A closer examination of Mediterranean seaborne interaction under the Roman Empire helps to reveal the potential of network thinking and analysis as well as productive areas for future development. Maritime network approaches can facilitate new historical inquiry into interaction with and across the seas and oceans that have been fundamental to the movements of people, goods, and ideas.