Home Classical, Ancient Near Eastern & Egyptian Studies A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models
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A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models

  • Ignasi Grau Mira
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The Archaeology of Peasantry in Roman Spain
This chapter is in the book The Archaeology of Peasantry in Roman Spain

Abstract

Rural studies in the Roman world have too often replicated the settlement model based on villa-type settlements and farms oriented towards urban markets. When this type of pattern is not the predominant one, it is usually linked to geographically isolated areas. Here, a sparse diffusion of Roman culture is interpreted as the survival of indigenous forms of organization. However, this cultural interpretation leaves unexplained how that territorial and economic organization was integrated into the Roman administrative structure. This paper presents the settlement organization and peasant landscape identified in the rural district of the Alcoi Valley (Alicante Province, eastern Spain) and proposes ways in which they may have been integrated into the territorial structure of the Roman towns in the region.¹

Abstract

Rural studies in the Roman world have too often replicated the settlement model based on villa-type settlements and farms oriented towards urban markets. When this type of pattern is not the predominant one, it is usually linked to geographically isolated areas. Here, a sparse diffusion of Roman culture is interpreted as the survival of indigenous forms of organization. However, this cultural interpretation leaves unexplained how that territorial and economic organization was integrated into the Roman administrative structure. This paper presents the settlement organization and peasant landscape identified in the rural district of the Alcoi Valley (Alicante Province, eastern Spain) and proposes ways in which they may have been integrated into the territorial structure of the Roman towns in the region.¹

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
  6. Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
  7. Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
  8. Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
  9. Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
  10. A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
  11. Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
  12. Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
  13. Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
  14. On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
  15. Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
  16. With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
  17. From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
  18. Conclusions 277
  19. List of Contributors 285
  20. List of Figures 291
  21. Index 295
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110757415-006

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgments V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
  6. Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
  7. Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
  8. Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
  9. Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
  10. A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
  11. Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
  12. Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
  13. Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
  14. On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
  15. Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
  16. With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
  17. From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
  18. Conclusions 277
  19. List of Contributors 285
  20. List of Figures 291
  21. Index 295
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