In one of the Time Team programs I reviewed last week, the team investigated a Roman mansio--the Empire's version of a way station or roadside hotel.
Mansio ruins in Staffordshire, UK. Alun Salt
I've always been intrigued by these kinds of archaeological sites--probably because I spent all too many years of my archaeological career staying in motels and hotels within a few miles of whatever investigation I was working on.
Ruins of an Inca Tampu at Ingapirca, Peru Julia Rubinic
For whatever reason, the Time Team videos prodded me to find out what scholars have written about way stations in the great road systems of the world: the Roman Road mansio, the Inca Trail tampu, and the Silk Road caravansary. Their similarities and differences make for fascinating investigations.
Dogubayazit Caravansary in Turkey. Charlie Phillips
Anybody else up for a road trip?
- Rest Houses and Way Stations
- Caravansary
- Roman Travel, from my esteemed colleague N.S. Gill (Ancient History at About.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment