Guided in their navigation by the North-South Pier and the Lanterna Quay, after passing through the Basin of Claudius, the ships converged on the Basin of Trajan, entering a wide internal navigation channel that ran along the northern side of the Trajan's Warehouses on one side and the Lanterna Pier on the other one. Geo-archaeological research has shown that in Late Antiquity and the early medieval age, with the reduction in port activities and the resulting gradual transition to marshland, the entry channel shrunk in width as it silted up, but was subjected to major drainage operations that continued to ensure the access to the Harbour of Trajan.
Reconstruction of the inlet channel, connection between the hexagonal basin and the Harbour of Claudius
(Portus Project/Artas Media)
Aerial view of the area once occupied by the inlet channel, viewed from the east
(S. Keay)
Reconstruction of the internal navigation channel, link between the hexagonal basin and the Harbour of Claudius
(Portus Project/Artas Media)
Aerial view of the area once occupied by the internal navigation channel, viewed from the east
(photo: S. Keay)