Theme:
The archaeology of material culture, bodies and landscapes
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each
Title:
Field systems, centuriations and the shaping of Cultural Landscapes: integrated and long-term analysis
Content:
The last decade has seen a revival in the study of Roman centuriation and ancient field systems using archaeomorphology-based approaches. Current work has adopted integrated and multidisciplinary studies, which include geoarchaeology, geophysics, survey, historical documents and paleo-environmental data. These approaches are based on the idea that, through a complex history of occupation, landscapes have become a cultural palimpsest. Current cultural landscapes can be considered as multiphase systems within which, previously existing forms play a key role in determining and shaping the subsequent landscape phases. In this sense, territorial structures display a long-term chronology and become essential in the configuration of long-term settlement patterns and landscape dynamics. In this regard, new approaches are focused on the study of the conservation and possible re-use over time of ancient field systems and territorial structures in modern agrarian landscapes.
Current research shows that ancient field systems and Roman centuriated arrangements seem to be the origin of many Mediterranean cultural landscapes. From these new perspectives and through the comparison of diverse case studies, this session aims to showcase long-term and integrated analyses of ancient field systems and centuriated networks and discuss their meaning in Roman and classical landscapes. Given their strong influence in the shaping of present cultural landscapes together with their lack of visibility and their enormous importance as a cultural resource, papers dealing with the heritagisation of ancient field systems will also be welcomed.
Keywords:
Field-systems, centuriation, archaeomorphology, cultural-landscapes, heritagisation
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Main organiser:
Senior rechercher Josep Maria Palet (Spain) 1
Co-organisers:
Dr Helena Paula Carvalho (Portugal) 2
Dr María Jesús Ortega Pérez (Spain) 1
Dr Hèctor A. Orengo Romeu (United Kingdom) 3
Affiliations:
1. GIAP. Institut Català d'Arqueologia Clàssica, Pl. Rovellat, s/n, 43003 Tarragona
2. Departamento de Historia. Instituto de Ciencias Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700 Braga
3. TwoRains Research Associate, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge
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