Abstract
Neighbourhoods and the social use of space are areas of growing interest. By combining archaeological methods and space syntax, the article offers new insights into the physical environment of daily life in the Roman city. The detailed examination of two city blocks from Ostia (Rome’s imperial port-town), allows the authors to identify spaces which fostered social cohesion and community building. The shared courtyards and passage spaces of Block IV ii suggest continued community focus (2nd - 5th centuries AD). In contrast, Block IV iv lacks common spaces and revealed self-contained buildings centred on individual access to public space. Block IV ii enjoyed shared spaces within its own perimeter, while Block IV iv looks toward external community building, with activities centred on the street confining the block. The results show the flexibility of Roman urban structures and allow for suggestive glimpses into the community that sustained the city in the long-term.
Highlights
La cultura Romana può essere considerata come una cultura essenzialmente urbana, basti considerare come a metà del II sec. d.C. l’Impero romano contava ben più di 2000 insediamenti urbani
Come sottolineta da Hillier (2008: 223), molti di loro sembrano condividere il presupposto che lo spazio acquisisce significato solo attraverso un agente esterno o un processo sociale che gli attribuisce senso e forma
Sebbene inizialmente sviluppate per la pianificazione urbana contemporanea, le teorie ed i metodi dalla space syntax sono stati utilizzati con successo da archeologi per lo studio delle città romane (Laurence 2007; Grahame 2000; Kaiser 2000, 2011; Stöger 2011)
Summary
Resumen El estudio de los vecindarios y el uso social del espacio habitado son temas de interés creciente. Mediante la combinación de métodos arqueológicos y space syntax, este artículo ofrece nuevas formas de analizar el entorno físico de la vida cotidiana en las ciudades romanas. El examen detallado de dos bloques urbanos en Ostia (la ciudad portuaria de Roma en época imperial) nos ha permitido identificar espacios que fomentan la cohesión social y la vida en comunidad. El Bloque IV ii disfruta de espacios compartidos dentro de su propio perímetro, mientras que el Bloque IV iv parece estar orientado por el interés de comunidades externas con actividades desarrolladas hacia la calle creando cierto aislamiento del bloque. Palabras clave: Arqueología romana; Ostia; ciudades portuarias; space syntax; vecindarios urbanos; vida en comunidad
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