Costly display or economic investment? A quantitative approach to the study of marine aquaculture

A Presumed Hydraulic Apparatus for the Transport of Live Fish, Found on the Roman Wreck at Grado, Italy

“…An effective system, such as that suggested for the Grado ship, which even in midsummer could allow the sale of live fish, reared in huge Tyrrhenian Sea vivaria , has been assumed by several authors (Gianfrotta and Pomey, 1981: 322–3; Marzano, 2007: 47–63; Marzano and Brizzi, 2009). Although we must admit that our reconstruction is little more than a hypothesis, we believe that it is the most logical assumption among those made so far and that, given the historical, economic and technological implications, it should be taken into account, and stimulate further considerations to confirm it, or produce evidence to definitively reject it.…”

“…Other scholars, quoting ancient authors, believe that live fish were transported by sea (Gianfrotta, 1999: 12; Boetto, 2006; Marzano and Brizzi, 2009). It should be noted, however, that references in ancient authors are not very explicit.…”

“…comm. Silvia Guala, see also Marzano and Brizzi, 2009), we can say that a tank with 4 m 3 of water, if properly exchanged, could retain at least 200 kg of live fish, such as sea bass or sea bream. The necessary exchange of this water mass, in the order of once every half hour, could be secured without problems by the piston‐pump which, with a flow of 252 litres per minute, would fill the tank in 16 minutes.…”

“…A system for transporting live fish, such as that of the Grado vessel, could also explain the sometimes extraordinary dimensions of Tyrrhenian fisheries. This allows us to suggest that some of them, such as that of Torre Astura, were used for wider trade and not just for domestic consumption of fish by the nearby villas (Marzano, 2007: 47–63; Marzano and Brizzi, 2009). Many of them were equipped with piers for mooring ships: this would reinforce the idea that some fisheries were on an industrial scale (Marzano, 2007: 50).…”

The Bountiful Sea: Fish Processing and Consumption in Mediterranean Antiquity

“…The last decade has also seen greater consensus that fishing and fish processing was an economically important and profitable enterprise in Classical antiquity, especially in the Roman western Mediterranean-a topic which has generated great interest amongst Classical scholars (Kron 2008;Marzano 2007Marzano , 2015Marzano and Brizzi 2009). The material wealth the industry could bring to an individual is beautifully illustrated in the mosaic floor that proudly adorns the house of Pompeian fish-sauce producer and merchant Aulus Umbricius Scaurus: at each corner of the shallow impluvium in the centre of the floor, a vessel for fish sauce is depicted, complete with descriptive label (Curtis 1984).…”