1. The Economy: Trade, Commerce,
Industries & Occupations

2. Trade
• The majority of
archaeological evidence of
Pompeian imports and
exports comes from pottery
• Pompeii was ideally
positioned for trade
• Harbour facilities gave
access to the
Mediterranean shipping
and the Sarno River gave
access to the smaller towns
around Campania
• Luxury villas around the
Bay of Naples could be
reached by boat or road

3. Trade
• Although goods of Pompeian origin have been found throughout the Roman
Empire, the products Mediterranean regions have been discovered within the city
itself
• The evidence suggests that import/export trade was extensive
• Recent investigations of Pompeian pottery show that export of Pompeian products
was limited, the most well known exports were wine, olive oil and garum

4. Trade
• Workshop production was
on a small scale , only a
few goods were produced
for export
• Producers in Pompeii
traded their wares with
negotiatores, in exchange
for goods from other
regions of the empire
• Thus Pompeian goods
were transported from one
location to another for sale

5. Trade
• Traders in both Puteoli and Rome were responsible for the distribution of
Pompeian products throughout the empire
• Pottery analysis shows that Pompeians imported a limited range of goods:
– Lamps from the northern parts of Italy
– Pottery from Gaul
– Oil from southern Spain
– Wine from Sicily, Spain and Crete