SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND—A team of archaeologists led by Southampton University's Simon Keay are embarking on a massive project to study the interconnections between 31 important Roman ports across the Mediterranean, from Turkey to Spain. Focusing on sites dating to the first two centuries A.D., the team will conduct excavations at eight of the most important surviving ports, and will use satellite imagery and already available archaeological data to study another 23. "By studying these networks we aim to gather a wealth of knowledge about how they operated and why – also helping to set in context how trade was conducted in later historical periods and, indeed, today," says Keay.