Keay offers the first authoritative work in English on the archaeology of Spain in the Roman Period, a country with regional cultures of great depth, variety, and vitality. With evidence from the very latest developments in archaeological research, Keay traces the history of Spain from the third century B. C. before the Roman conquest to the decline of the Empire in the fourth century A.D. “With the aid of ancient geographies, travelers' accounts, mariners' handbooks, ships' logs and other treatises, John Keay reconstructs the shifting spice routes in this engaging narrative. This book will enlighten those who know of spices only what they read in a recipe or smell in their food. A pleasure for both armchair and real travelers.”—John E. Talbott, author of The Pen and Ink Sailor: Charles Middleton and the King's Navy, 1778-1813