An Alternative History: A Maritime Archaeological Study of Menorca as a Key Ancillary in the Roman Epoch

Identifier:  TDX:3001

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3001

Authors:  Amundson, Margaret

Abstract:
This is a maritime archaeological study of the Roman period in Spain's Balearic island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea. The findings reveal that Menorca's relevance and utility to Rome lay not so much in its facilitation of connectivity as in its capacity to disrupt maritime transmissions and abet actors in regional destabilization. Issues of piracy figure most prominently in this respect, although other security concerns, such as rebellion and warfare, are also considered. Also disclosed were problems arising from the standard conceptualization of the history of Menorca during the Roman epoch as stemming from a Roman 'conquest' of the Balearic Islands. By reframing traditional narratives concerning Rome's interest in the island, it becomes clear that the annexation of Menorca's ports and the pacification of its waters can be better understood as a key component in a region-wide initiative to ensure the security of critical western sea lanes and perhaps even greater geopolitical stability in the Western Mediterranean.