Ostia Antica

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ostia-antica

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Ostia Antica built?Circa 4th century BC
2. How big is Ostia Antica?The archaeological park covers approximately 150 hectares (370 acres)
3. What is the languages?Latin was the official and common language
4. What was Ostia Antica and why was it important to Rome?Ostia Antica was Rome's main port at the mouth of the Tiber River. It gave the city direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and helped bring in goods to feed the capital.
5. Why did Ostia Antica become abandoned?The Tiber River kept silting up the harbor, and wind-driven sand pushed the coastline farther out. This made the harbor unusable and turned the area into marshes, so people left the city.

Maritime Commerce: The buying and selling of goods transported by sea.
Urbanism: The study of the planning, development, and social characteristics of cities.
Insulae: Ancient Roman apartment buildings, typically housing the majority of the urban population.
Horrea: Warehouses used for storing grain and other foodstuffs in ancient Rome.