What Archaeological Evidence Tells Us About Roman Jobs & How Jobs Differed by Social Class
Archaeological discoveries have revealed an incredibly diverse Roman workforce through various forms of evidence. Shop signs carved in stone or painted on walls in Pompeii and Herculaneum show symbols indicating different trades - a mill wheel for bakers, an amphora for wine sellers, or tools for craftsmen. These visual markers helped even illiterate customers find the services they needed.
Excavations of workshops and manufacturing sites provide direct evidence of Roman industrial activities. At Pompeii, archaeologists have uncovered fulleries (laundries) with their distinctive washing basins, bakeries with large millstones and ovens, and metalworking shops complete with furnaces and tools. The preservation of these workspaces offers invaluable insights into daily working conditions and production methods.
> Archaeological Evidence Box: > A recently discovered Roman construction site in London revealed tools, protective leather gear, and even a wooden writing tablet with work schedules, showing that Roman builders used sophisticated project management techniques similar to modern construction sites.
Tombstones and epitaphs provide another rich source of information about Roman occupations. Many Romans proudly recorded their professions on their monuments, from humble cart drivers to successful merchants. These inscriptions reveal job titles we might not otherwise know existed, such as margaritarius (pearl setter) or salgamarius (pickle dealer).
Documentary evidence, including papyri from Roman Egypt and wooden tablets from Vindolanda in Britain, preserves employment contracts, pay records, and business correspondence. These documents show wage rates, working conditions, and the business relationships that underpinned the Roman economy.
Roman society's rigid class structure profoundly influenced employment opportunities. Senators and patricians were legally prohibited from engaging in most forms of commerce, though they often circumvented these restrictions through freedmen agents. They derived income from land ownership, political positions, and investments managed by intermediaries.
The equestrian class engaged in large-scale commerce, banking, and tax collection. These wealthy businessmen operated shipping companies, managed government contracts, and controlled much of Rome's import-export trade. They employed armies of accountants, scribes, and agents to manage their enterprises.
> Latin Terms Box: > - Artifex: Skilled craftsman or artist > - Mercator: Merchant or trader > - Faber: Smith or builder > - Pistor: Baker or miller > - Negotiator: Wholesale trader or businessman > - Argentarius: Banker or money-changer
Plebeians formed the backbone of Rome's workforce, engaging in hundreds of different occupations. They worked as shopkeepers, craftsmen, builders, dock workers, and service providers. Many specialized in specific trades passed down through families - a son typically learned his father's profession through apprenticeship.
Slaves and freedmen performed much of Rome's manual labor but also filled skilled positions. Educated slaves worked as teachers, doctors, and administrators. Upon manumission, many freedmen continued in their former occupations, now earning wages or running their own businesses.