A new interdisciplinary study tracing the Roman conquest of Anatolia reveals how centuries of imperial expansion, economic integration, and environmental transformation led to a regional system that thrived—then collapsed.
Researchers say the findings offer urgent lessons for understanding today’s global environmental and economic challenges.
Evolution of Western Anatolia under Roman Empire
The study focuses on Western Anatolia, a key province of the Roman Empire located in modern-day Turkey. Once a frontier of Greek, Persian, and Roman power, this region underwent rapid development following its incorporation into the empire in 133 BCE.
Using ancient coinage, ecological data, and archaeological records, scientists mapped the long-term evolution of the region’s socioecological system from the 2nd century BCE to the 7th century CE.
Their findings show that the Roman conquest of Anatolia sparked a wave of economic globalization, driven by elite land acquisition, tax farming, and growing urban centers. Over time, local cities became tightly connected through trade and finance, as revealed by a vast analysis of bronze coinage circulated across the empire.
A regional boom driven by imperial networks
After the Roman takeover, the region became one of the empire’s wealthiest provinces. Roman elites heavily invested in land and infrastructure, and even during political instability, cities like Tripolis deepened ties through monetary exchange. The researchers describe this period as a steady process of integration, not a single event.
Bronze coins found in excavations across the region tell a story of expanding connectivity. Tripolis, once a medium-sized city, emerged as a hub linked to nearly every corner of Roman Anatolia by the 3rd century CE.
The study explains that the coinage data shows how local economies didn’t just respond to conquest—they evolved into an interconnected network at the heart of Roman globalization.
From olive groves to collapse
That economic growth had profound ecological consequences. Sediment cores from lakes like Buldan Yayla and İznik reveal a dramatic increase in olive pollen following Roman expansion. Olive oil—used in food, hygiene, and ritual—became a cash crop. Forests were cleared, and hillsides were transformed into monoculture plantations.
This shift happened fast. At Buldan Yayla, the rise in olive cultivation took place within three generations—a pattern researchers describe as “exponential” landscape transformation. However, while economic integration continued over centuries, the environmental system peaked early and began to decline.
By the 4th century, demands changed again. With Emperor Constantine’s founding of Constantinople, grain replaced olives as the dominant crop. A new gold-based economy took hold, concentrating wealth and widening social divisions.
Collapse of a system
When warfare and external invasions hit in the 7th century—most notably the Persian-Roman conflicts and the Arab conquests—the entire system unraveled. Coin networks disintegrated. Tripolis was abandoned. Pollen data shows olive and grain farming vanished, replaced by pine forests and signs of low-intensity pastoralism.
The study concludes that the Roman conquest of Anatolia set in motion a complex chain of events—economic growth, environmental exploitation, and eventual collapse—that mirrors today’s global dynamics. Using resilience theory, the researchers argue that systems pushed to overconnectivity become inflexible, unable to respond to new stressors.
The authors note that this isn’t about nostalgia or predicting the future. However, if we want to understand how rapid development and environmental pressure interact, history has already run the experiment. The fall of Roman Anatolia, they say, is more than ancient history. It’s a warning worth heeding.
