Exporting oysters

[mcbishop]

I have read that British oysters were highly regarded and shipped to other parts of the Empire.
How were oysters exported ? Were they shipped alive in salt water or were they pickled/ preserved in some way ?

We don't actually know how the Romans did it, but have to guess. However, I had a friend who farmed oysters in the Inner Hebrides. He used to send them all over the UK packed in damp seaweed - that was all they needed to keep them alive until they reached their destination. Tolerant little chaps, oysters. They are also one of the defining archaeological characteristics of a Roman site.

Mike Bishop