The Roman Port and Fishery of Cosa
The ancient Roman port of Cosa is located 138 km. northwest of Rome on the Tyrrhenian coast of ancient Etruria (modern Tuscany). An easy day’s sail from Rome, Portus Cosanus enjoyed the protection of one of the few promontories along this predominantly sandy coastline. The limestone headland stands out as the key vantage point, commanding in ancient times the coastal zone between Etruscan Vulci to the south and Telamon and Populonia to the north. On either side, rich brackish fishing lagoons communicate with the sea across narrow sand barriers. These coastal lagoons are unique to this area of the Tyrrhenian seaboard and along with those of the Po valley on the Adriatic, still provide Italy with one of its most valuable natural resources. Most important of all for the continued life of the Portus Cosanus is the presence of several gushing springs of fresh water exposed by our excavations in the ancient lagoon area. Fresh water would have been essential for incoming ships as well as for the life of the brackish water fishery established in the lagoon behind the port. These natural topographical advantages undoubtedly were major reasons for the establishment of the maritime Latin colony of Cosa and its port in 273 B.C., following Rome’s conquest of the Etruscan cities of Vulci and Volsinii in 280 B.C.
The site came to my attention when I was a fellow in classical studies at the American Academy in Rome in 1965. The underwater excavations were begun in the summer of 1968 and continued in 1969 with J. D. Lewis. Concurrent with the underwater excavations, digging on land was begun in the silted lagoon. Our excavations have provided evidence that the great development of the port and fishery complex of Cosa began sometime during the last quarter of the second century B.C. and lasted until the end of the first century B.C. From the study of the amphora finds, E.L. Will provides overwhelming evidence that the powerful Sestius family who had a villa at Cosa were behind the development of the export trade in wine and later in garum and other fish products. Centered at the port of Cosa, the Sestius export trade in wine came to dominate the western Mediterranean by the end of the second century B.C. It was during this period that the concrete structures of the port and fishery made of pozzolana mortar combined with pieces of limestone, tuff, and amphora fragments were probably made. They are the first known examples of this important hydraulic building material used until the invention of Portland cement in modern times.
J. P. Oleson excavated the Spring House found in the lagoon along its western embankment. This unique three-room structure contained equipment for lifting water from the spring to an aqueduct that carried water across the lagoon to the commercial area of the port at the height of its use during the late second and early first centuries B.C., making water available to an amphora factory, saltery, ships and sailors. The Spring House was abandoned in the late first century B.C., probably due to a sudden storm or tidal wave that silted up the channels and fishing lagoon. The Spring House was rebuilt in the late first century AD, probably to serve both a bath and an elaborate seaside villa along the beach. It was destroyed by fire around the mid-second century AD. In the second stage of its use, the Spring House contained a human-powered bucket chain constructed to lift water 10 meters up the hill to the west by an aqueduct that emptied into a large cistern still visible today. Remains of six pine buckets were recovered from a geared water-lifting mechanism published by Oleson. It is the earliest dated archaeological evidence for such machinery.
No longer a great center for the export of wine and garum, the port of Cosa had become a facility for the importation of luxury goods demanded by the wealthy villa owners in the area. The nearest settlement that served the villa and port area in Imperial times was Succosa located between the villa and the Via Aurelia Antica. It still remains largely unexcavated. The present villa, known as the Torre Puccini, lies on the site of the 16th century watchtower owned in the early 20th century by the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. It is owned today by the Venturini family who generously permitted our excavations at the port and in the lagoon. Remains of ancient walls and mosaic floors are visible along the beach but the ancient villa remains unexcavated. Today a modern fishery has been constructed in the lagoon.
Bibliography
A. M. McCann et al., The Roman Port and Fishery of Cosa (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1987).
A. M. McCann, The Roman Port and Fishery of Cosa: A Short Guide, (The American Academy in Rome, 2002).