significance, was the disruption that these Celtic or Gallic incursions
caused to traditional commercial relations between the continental inter-
ior of the east Balkan area and respective coastal nodes. In the following
century and a half, the political policies of the Roman government,
whose principal aim was to prevent the reigning monarchs of either
Macedonia or the Seleukid kingdom from acquiring an effective hold on
the‘bridge’to Asia (that is, territory on either side of the Hellespontine
Straits), succeeded in isolating some of the key coastal ports along the
north Aegean coast (notably Ainos and Maroneia) from their hinter-
lands. Similar policies pursued in relation to the major cities of the west
Pontic coast also made the latter more amenable to Roman strategic
objectives. From thefirst centurybconwards, the active support of
regionalstrategoiin Thrace, drawn from some of the traditional aristo-
cratic families, reflects a parallel and evidently effective strategy on the
part of the Roman authorities of encouraging the development of gov-
ernance in the Thracian regions, which had economic concomitants,
visible at least at the level of coin circulation.^4 In Macedonia, thefirst
centurybcwas a period when aristocratic families were much less visible
among the ruling élite in the region.^5
One of the most distinctive material characteristics of thefirst millen-
niumbcis the development of a range of new mineral technologies,
based on the manufacture of iron alongside cast and hammered bronze,
as well as precious metals, to which were also added the techniques of
core-formed and cast glass later in this period. Less visible, but no less
important in economic terms, was the enhancement of organic prod-
ucts—the successful dyeing of textiles using a range of natural colourants
and mordants, and the large-scale production of animal by-products:
hides, furs, skins, and leather artefacts (boots and shoes, belts, harness
equipment). Although the organization of production was on a lesser
scale than we can assume for Roman imperial times, writers like Theo-
phrastus make assumptions about the tanning and processing of differ-
ent hides and skins, which imply that a range of specialized techniques
was by now systematic. There is now evidence to support Theophrastus’
views that leather was tanned as well as cured and used in the north
Aegean area for a wide range of decorative as well as functional purposes.
The east Balkan landmass conceals a range of highly desirable
resources, with important reserves of copper and iron, as well as precious
metals and other minerals; crystalline rocks, providing high quality
(^4) See further discussion in Chs 5 and 6.
(^5) Sève 2005; Archibald (2012b).
Thelongue duréein the north Aegean 131