From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies
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Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo
Abstract
In the same way as the grand narratives about Roman rural societies have neglected peasantry and non-estate occupations while emphasizing the role of villae and slavery, medievalism studies have promoted a notion of medieval peasants and villages based on the assumption that there was no connection between those periods and agents. The new scenario created by the recent disruptive development of rescue archaeology has revealed the importance of non-villae sites, non-nucleated villages, smallholders and peasantries and has opened up new avenues for the study of Roman and medieval rural societies in terms of settlement patterns, agrarian economy and domination. This paper argues that the under-theorization of local societies has adversely affected our comprehension of peasantries and their archaeological record. Taking into consideration early medieval northwestern Iberian records, a relational social approach is proposed in order to analyse agrarian societies. In particular, this study explores relational identity, social risk and reciprocity, moral economy, closure theory and patronage relationships.
Abstract
In the same way as the grand narratives about Roman rural societies have neglected peasantry and non-estate occupations while emphasizing the role of villae and slavery, medievalism studies have promoted a notion of medieval peasants and villages based on the assumption that there was no connection between those periods and agents. The new scenario created by the recent disruptive development of rescue archaeology has revealed the importance of non-villae sites, non-nucleated villages, smallholders and peasantries and has opened up new avenues for the study of Roman and medieval rural societies in terms of settlement patterns, agrarian economy and domination. This paper argues that the under-theorization of local societies has adversely affected our comprehension of peasantries and their archaeological record. Taking into consideration early medieval northwestern Iberian records, a relational social approach is proposed in order to analyse agrarian societies. In particular, this study explores relational identity, social risk and reciprocity, moral economy, closure theory and patronage relationships.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgments V
- Contents VII
- Introduction 1
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Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
- Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
- Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
- Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
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Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
- A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
- Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
- Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
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Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
- On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
- Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
- With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
- From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
- Conclusions 277
- List of Contributors 285
- List of Figures 291
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgments V
- Contents VII
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: From Traditional to New Approaches: Methodological Insights
- Early Imperial Roman Peasant Communities in Central Spain: Agrarian Structure, Standards of Living, and Inequality in the North of Roman Carpetania 23
- Perceiving the Countryside: Some Thoughts on the Representation of Agrarian Cycles and Tasks in the Mosaics of Roman Spain 49
- Investigating Livestock Practices in the Countryside of Roman Spain: An Archaeozoological Approach 71
-
Part II: Beyond Villascapes: Peasants in Landscapes
- A Peasant Landscape in the Eastern Roman Spain. An Archaeological Approach to Territorial Organization and Economic Models 91
- Exploring the Complexity of Roman Agrarian Landscapes. State of the Art and a Study Case from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula 111
- Roman Peasantry, Spatial Archaeology, and Off-site Survey in Hispania 143
-
Part III: Comparing Villae and Peasants Habitats in Settlement Systems
- On the Margins of the Villa System? Rural Architecture and Socioeconomic Strategies in North-Eastern Roman Spain 169
- Villae and Farms: Early Imperial Rural Settlement in the Adaja-Eresma Basin (Central Roman Spain) 201
- With the measure you use you will be measured back… Late Roman and Early Medieval Peasants in Central Spain on Examination 229
- From Villa to Village? Relational Approaches within Roman and Medieval Iberian Rural Societies 253
- Conclusions 277
- List of Contributors 285
- List of Figures 291
- Index 295
