(AA Photo)
Setting an ancient banquet table is no longer just a dream. An underwater excavation launched last year off the coast of Adrasan, west of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, revealed just how magnificent a banquet table might have been two thousand years ago. Exactly 2,100 years ago, a ship laden with ceramic tableware traveling from east to west off the coast of Adrasan likely sank after being caught in a storm. It appears the ship set sail from the port of Rhosus — now known as Arsuz — and its entire cargo consisted of Rhosus pottery, which had gained renown throughout the Roman world. Rhosus pottery was made in Antioch, today’s Antakya, and is known in the literature as “Eastern Mediterranean Sigillata,” which was regarded as the most valuable pottery of the eastern Mediterranean.
Was the cargo destined to Rome?
The ceramics were likely bound for Rome. What is interesting is that while trading ships of that period typically carried mixed cargo, this ship was loaded exclusively with tableware — and packed to the brim. One cannot help but wonder whether this was a special commission. Who knows — perhaps it was for a grand celebration in honor of a Roman emperor, or perhaps a lavish wedding. We know from the Roman writer, orator, and statesman Cicero himself that such commissions were placed in those days. In a letter written to his friend Atticus in 50 BC, Cicero recounts that he had commissioned the famous “Rhosica Vasa” — the pottery vessels from Rhosus — for him. Thanks to this correspondence, we understand that pottery made in Antioch and shipped from Arsuz was highly sought after in Rome.
To date, 6,511 pieces have been recovered from the shipwreck intact and unbroken, while the remainder are in good enough condition to be easily restored to their initial glory. The key factor in their preservation was a brilliant innovation in packing technique: a layer of clay was applied between the plates and bowls to prevent them from breaking. This kept them from clattering against one another as the ship rocked in the waves. As a result, almost the entire cargo has survived intact to the present day with minimal loss. Another notable feature of the find is not merely its sheer size, but its variety: the plates and bowls are not all of the same type. We are talking about a tableware set comprising 122 different shapes and sizes, each designed and made for different purposes.
What was served?
So, what exactly was eaten at such a magnificent banquet? The vessels recovered from the wreck include deep bowls, wide trays, and large serving platters — a variety that reflects how important display and ostentation were at wealthy Roman tables. Throughout the meal, fresh and dried fruits like bunches of grapes and figs were kept on hand for snacking. While commoners relied on wheat or barley porridge, the wealthy enjoyed flat, wheel-shaped loaves of bread paired with cheeses, some wrapped in fig leaves for preservation. These banquets also featured wild game and poultry like duck and goose. Usually roasted over an open fire, game birds formed the centerpiece of the finest feasts and were likely presented on these large, tray-like platters.
Food trade in ancient Rome
Undoubtedly, alongside the pottery traded across the Mediterranean basin, foodstuffs were also shipped to far-off destinations. Liquid commodities such as olive oil and wine — as well as dry goods — were transported in earthenware amphorae. Smoked, dried, and salted fish were particularly popular. However, the most prized item was the fermented fish sauce known as garum — the gourmet delicacy of its day. Products and sauces crafted in one corner of the Mediterranean routinely found their way to tables on the opposite side of the sea.
Just as the red plates of Antakya-Arsuz were famous, so too were those produced in Sagalassos, perched high in the Taurus Mountains. Ceramics made in Sagalassos were shipped to the port of Alexandria in Egypt, which in turn sent back a wealth of local goods — the most prized being salted fish. In those days, Sagalassos was a center of luxury and entertainment where the finest delicacies were sold at the Macellum, a type of Roman gourmet market. Archaeological analysis revealed that fish bones uncovered at the market belonged to species unique to the Nile Delta in Egypt, providing tangible proof of an extensive trade network stretching from Alexandria all the way to the peaks of the Taurus Mountains.
Secret flavor: Garum
Some of the flavors of ancient Rome, however, no longer exist today. Foremost among these is the fish sauce known as garum. It is said that wealthy Romans of the time could not refrain from adding a few drops of garum to every meal. It was an indispensable flavoring, much like soy sauce in Chinese cuisine. Of course, there were also varieties of varying quality. The city of Cádiz, Spain, was a leading center for garum production. The sauce made there from the innards of Atlantic tuna found buyers throughout the Roman world. Today, the remains of these ancient garum workshops have been restored, and Cádiz hosts a museum dedicated to the famous sauce.
While garum was once indispensable, it later disappeared almost completely. It survived on a very small scale on a few Greek islands, on Gökçeada in the Aegean Sea, and on the Princes’ Islands off Istanbul. Today, however, there are sporadic efforts to revive it. In Spain, Michelin-starred chef Pere Planaguma produces a garum he calls “Escata.” To make it, he partnered with a sardine canning factory in Catalonia. He collects the factory’s waste — bones, heads, tails and fish innards — and ferments them using traditional methods. As the fish matter decomposes and settles to the bottom, it leaves a clear, amber-brown liquid on top. According to those who have sampled it, the result is excellent. Personally, I find it far too fishy and think it is best left in the depths of history.
