This book represents the proceedings of a workshop published as the latest in the series of edited volumes organised by the Oxford Roman Economy Project. As with previous volumes, it contains an important collection of thought-provoking chapters. The theme of the book is urban craft workers and traders, and it places an emphasis on what it terms the ‘normalisation’ of crafts and trade through the study of archaeological and textual datasets rather than attempting any wider macroeconomic studies of the nature of urban economies (p 2). The editors argue that while the macro is important, there is first a need to study the micro-scale: ‘the direct social and physical environment in which people lived and worked, and the smaller and larger decisions that these people made to realise their social and economic ambitions’ (p 3). The book brings issues of the micro-scale out well, but perhaps there could also have been a concluding chapter discussing some of the implications for the macroeconomic understanding of the Roman Empire.

The book is organised into four sections, with the first containing chapters looking at the intellectual history and context of aspects of urban craft and trade, including the German and Anglo-Saxon (Flohr and Wilson) and Italian (Salvaterra and Cristofori) traditions. The second section contains chapters on the economic strategies used by the craft workers and traders, including maritime communities (Rice). The third section is on the theme of people and the social environment, including apprenticeships (Freu) and associations (Arnaoutoglou), and the final section on space and the urban setting. It is clear from many chapters that they often cross themes, including those that address the history of research. Brun’s chapter in the history section also outlines in some the preliminary results of his project on the towns of southern Italy.

All the chapters use a rich range of valuable and fascinating datasets, often drawing on long-term research projects. Some focus on the detail of individual cities, including Aquincum (Láng), Sagalassos (Poblome) and Arles (Tran), while others look at themed datasets, including footwear (for example, van Driel-Murray) and epigraphy (for example, Larsson Lovén). What is striking throughout the book is the rich use of theoretical approaches in the chapters, notably from modern economics and geography but also other sources. There is Ruffing’s use of economic theory to examine ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ specialisation. Monteix draws on chaîne opératoire to examine Pompeian bakeries and baking, and Goodman and Droß-Krüpe both utilise cluster theory to analyse the spatial distribution of crafts. Other chapters also use spatial analysis, including Poblom’s examination of the potters at Sagalassos. Broekaert draws on agency theory for the analysis of freedmen in business, and Larsson Lovén looks at gender theory to examine the role of women in urban economic activities. These are welcome discussions, but perhaps there could also have been more critical reflection on their use and their value for examining the Roman period.

The emphasis on the range of people involved in these activities is also welcome, although I wonder whether the choice of the word ‘craftsmen’ in the title, albeit arguably meant in a gender-neutral way, was wise when the book addresses gender issues and the role of women. What is noticeable throughout is the emphasis on the Roman economy without tackling what this means in terms of identity. There is an emphasis on the Mediterranean region of the Empire, which is often where there are good archaeological and textual datasets, except for a few chapters that include the north-west provinces. All the studies emphasise the ‘Roman’ perspective, although it was interesting in van Driel-Murray’s study of footwear that she emphasises how there is little knowledge of shoes in the civilian contexts of her study area since most come from military sites (p 132); indeed, there is no real discussion of the definition of city or urban settlement in the book. Localised practices and traditions in manufacture processes and organisation, trade, exchange and consumption are important considerations alongside ‘Roman’ traditions. Can we perhaps, instead, think in terms of multiple ‘Roman’ economies across the Empire? Contextualising the agency into local histories, identities, circumstances and social traditions could result in an even richer understanding of these craft and trade activities; and, in this sense, is ‘normalising’ understanding a straightforward task? The book emphasises that the understanding of the social, economic and cultural history of urban trade, manufacture and retail is crucial for understanding the Roman Empire and its history (p 1), and it demonstrates well the huge potential for future research.