Chersonesus Fish Salting Cisterns
About
Rows of cisterns for salting fish still line the ruins of this Greek colony on Crimea's southwestern tip, founded by settlers from Heraclea Pontica in the 5th century BCE. Winemaking and fishing anchored the city's economy for its entire ancient existence, trading grain, cattle, and salted fish with Scythian neighbors and Greek cities alike. Roman garrisons protected Chersonesus by the Flavian period, and its fish-salting industry was still active when Trajan died in 117 CE.
What happened here
Rows of stone vats sunk into the ground beside the sea, and the smell reaches a long way inland. Small fish and the guts of larger ones are layered with salt and left in the sun for weeks; the liquid that separates off is drawn away as fish sauce and the residue is sold cheaply as paste. Grades run from a luxury sauce that costs more than good wine down to the version bought by everyone else. Tunny is netted in season from lookout towers on the headland, and the fishing, salting, potting and shipping all happen within a few hundred metres. Amphorae are stamped with the maker's name. Towns built on this are rich, and they are built downwind of themselves.
Sources
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Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →