Much like today, ancient “consumers” were connected to distant markets. Both basic and precious goods from faraway lands “shipped” to royal palaces, elite estates—sometimes even rural households—and technological advances in craftsmanship and commerce transcended boundaries of language, religion, or culture to spread rapidly. Mediterranean Marketplaces: Connecting the Ancient World explores how the movement of goods, peoples, and ideas around the ancient Mediterranean transformed the lives and livelihoods of people at all levels of society, driving innovations that had lasting impacts—even on the modern world.
Over eighty objects in Mediterranean Marketplaces have interactive 3D models, including the cat model, which can be 3D-printed with the proper equipment. Watch Chief Curator Adam Aja describe six of the objects from this exhibition and how they represent ancient Mediterranean trade.
Learn more about food storage, harvest seasons, and yarn dyeing in the videos below.
