Abstract
Although centuriation was only one system of Roman land division, its impact on the landscape and its visibility in modern field arrangements make it the most commonly recognized expression of Roman landscapes. Centuriated grid systems are usually analyzed from a materialistic point of view and consequently are regarded as an assertion of Roman dominance over conquered territories. In this sense, their productive function is clear. The hinterland of Tarraco (the ancient capital of the Roman province of Tarraconensis) offers one of the most clearly documented examples of multiple-grid centuriated systems. From 2006 to 2010, the Landscape Archaeology Research Group of the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology employed a wide array of digital and field methodologies at Tarraco to record the traces of centuriated land divisions and their Roman origin. Most importantly, these methods have allowed research to move beyond pure description of the traces to explore the concepts and ideas behind the making of a centuriated landscape. By using Tarraco as a case study, this article shows how centuriation was not only a system for dividing the land but also a conceptual appropriation of the landscape based on a strong mythical and religious background.
Highlights
Tarragona, which corresponds to the immediate hinterland of Tarraco, the ancient provincial capital of the Roman province of Tarraconensis
The sedimentary covering of ancient roads and field boundaries may allow archaeological excavation of traces,33 but in other cases, erosion may occur that greatly hinders identification. Such eroded surfaces have been documented in most parts of the centuriated landscape of the Ager Tarraconensis where Roman soil levels are hard to find
Human impact has affected several large areas, and for this reason, digital stereoscopic 3D models of the earlier landscape were developed from 1956 stereo pairs of aerial photographs. These models were incorporated into the digital terrain model (DTM), which in turn allowed the generation of hydrologic models, viewsheds, least cost route models, and the like
Summary
This article is © The Archaeological Institute of America and was originally published in AJA. This reprint is supplied to the primary author for personal, non-commercial use only, following the terms stipulated by the AJA Editor-in-Chief. Martha Sharp Joukowsky, James Russell, Stephen L.
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