Abstract
AbstractOstia, the ancient port of Rome, had a rich religious landscape. How processional rituals further contributed to this landscape, however, has seen little consideration. This is largely due to a lack of evidence that attests to the routes taken by processional rituals. The present study aims to address existing problems in studying processions by questioning what factors motivated processional movement routes. A novel computational approach that integrates GIS, urban network analysis, and agent-based modelling is introduced. This multi-layered approach is used to question how spectators served as attractors in the creation of a processional landscape using Ostia’s Campo della Magna Mater as a case study. The analysis of these results is subsequently used to gain new insight into how a greater processional landscape was created surrounding the sanctuary of the Magna Mater.
Highlights
Processional Movement and its Problems Within ArchaeologyOne of the primary difficulties in studying ancient processional routes is that they were preserved in the memories of those that saw, heard, or read about the act rather than being overtly visible within the archaeological record (Connelly, 2011, p. 314)
In terms of the Campo della Magna Mater, the results indicate that the sanctuary is positioned at a location that would have seen little to no pedestrian interaction
This study has aimed to present a new approach for studying how processional movement can be studied within the Roman city of Ostia
Summary
Processional Movement and its Problems Within ArchaeologyOne of the primary difficulties in studying ancient processional routes is that they were preserved in the memories of those that saw, heard, or read about the act rather than being overtly visible within the archaeological record (Connelly, 2011, p. 314). One of the primary difficulties in studying ancient processional routes is that they were preserved in the memories of those that saw, heard, or read about the act rather than being overtly visible within the archaeological record Studies of processional routes predominately rely on literary accounts which are problematic. This is because ancient authors provide only minimal details of a procession, its ritual components, and its movement pathways through a city (e.g. Cicero Epistulae ad Atticum 13.44.1; Dio 47.40.8). Coarelli, 1968; Favro, 2008; Arena, 2009) In these instances, Article note: This article is a part of the Special Issue on Unlocking Sacred Landscapes: Digital Humanities and Ritual Space, edited by Giorgos Papantoniou, Apostolos Sarris, Christine E.
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