ostia's complex economy had brought these shipwrights great wealth.an association with the emperor was designed to protect it. in contrast to simpler systems economic power and even some political influence were now possible for a larger group than ever before. the evolution of economic systems carries with it an enormous impact on people's lives. copan may appear to be a complex city but in economic terms, it was a place of relative simplicity. it was run by a tiny elite who monopolized the best land and used its small surplus for their own benefit. teotihuacan was more a true city, where many craft specialists made products for a vast local and export market. the city's economy evolved to become the most complex in the new world. when transportation is efficient an ancient city can seem almost modern. ostia was such a place -- a place where everyone was a specialist working in an economy that offered the opportunity for social mobility and the creation of wealth. today, archaeologists struggle to reconstruct the economies of the ancient world becaus