Left: The changing cityscape of the Imperial coast and harbour at Portus. © R. Fabro - R. Saleri 2018; Right: Coring rig in extracting sediment in the old channels and harbour of Ostia courtesy of Ferréol Saloman.

 

BOSCORF staff recently attended the PortGEN: Ancient Ports Open Day at the NOC, bringing together researchers from across Europe and the UK to explore how sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) and environmental proxies can enhance our understanding of ancient ports, harbours and trading networks. 

The event provided an excellent opportunity for BOSCORF to engage with a new scientific community, learn about emerging approaches in environmental and archaeological research, and build connections with experts in genetics, archaeology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Presentations from leading international researchers showcased the latest findings from the PortGEN project and highlighted innovative methods for interpreting environmental records from historic coastal sites. 

Attendance at the event reflects BOSCORF’s commitment to knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration. By connecting with researchers working in adjacent scientific fields, BOSCORF staff were able to share insights from BOSCORF’s expertise while exploring potential opportunities for future collaboration and the application of environmental archives to broader research challenges.