Modelling the Supply of Wood Fuel in Ancient Rome

Provisioning the city of Rome required complex systems of management and procurement. Despite the importance of wood for baking the grain of the annona and heating the water for baths (among other applications), there is little evidence for the human or ecological connections that supplied Rome with this crucial fuel. By examining parallel institutions, this article provides a model for explaining how the city of Rome met the energy demands of its massive population. We suggest some ways urban labour was linked to Italian forests, creating a sustainable mode of supply that lasted for centuries.