Roman Villa Research Articles

Pisões Roma Villasından Mozaikler (Beja, Portekiz). Dekoratif Program ve Villanın Mekânsal Organizasyonundaki Önemi

Located in the Conventus Pacensis, about 7 km southwest of the Roman Pax Julia (today: Beja), this imposing Roman villa is a reference point in the study of the Roman settlements in the south of present-day Portugal. Within this group of constructions in Pisões only the pars urbana has in large part been uncovered: the existence of the wall of a dam, an aqueduct and some peripheral constructions has already been ascertained over the years.It is here that one of the most relevant sets of mosaics with figurative, vegetal and geometric motifs for the study of Roman mosaics can be found and allow the identification of possible mosaic workshops in the current territory of Portugal. Apart from a very concise description by Fernando Nunes Ribeiro in 1972, these mosaics have not yet been studied in depth.In the scope of this work the mosaics of this villa uncovered till today - most of them unpublished – are inventoried using a methodological approach of registration, study and publication, highlighting the interrelation of the pavement and the spatial planning.

Archaeometric Characterization of Wall Paintings from Isera and Ventotene Roman Villas

The authors present the first results of an archaeometric research project set up by the Rovereto Civic Museum Foundation in collaboration with MUSE–Trento Science Museum, aiming at analysing and comparing Roman plasters from different sites in order to highlight similarities and differences related to the preparation and realization of Roman wall renderings. The data concern the characterization of plaster samples from the Roman Villa of Isera and Ventotene (northern and central Italy) by means of a thin-section mineropetrographic examination under an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

What constitutes the virtual: representation and memory in ancient Roman frescos

This paper examines a specific historical context of the virtual reality (VR), commonly associated with contemporary society, in order to consider its lineage. It sets up an argument that identifies archaeological examples, which worked with subjective perceptions of space, as predecessors to the digital technologies familiar in the 21st century context. While the paper acknowledges the use of VR representation throughout history and around the world, the focus will be on key Roman villas, specifically on their frescos, and the importance of these immersion spaces in Roman society for reasons that approach both the social and introspective. As technology is not a term merely beholden to the digital, encompassing major revolutionary human advancements such as language or agriculture, the paper examines the historical technologies, i.e. the representational techniques, that produced virtual realities and immersive environments of the past. It uses the Ancient Roman context to illustrate the relationship between representation, subject(s), and society, which can be examined from a historical context and further applied to the contemporary.

Comparative Investigation of Red and Orange Roman Tesserae: Role of Cu and Pb in Colour Formation

This study aims at the characterisation of red and orange glass tesserae from the 4th-century Roman villa of Noheda (Spain). Due to the limited number of analyses available for such ancient materials, many questions remain unanswered about the production processes in the Roman period. Six samples were chosen for their hue variations, including two samples showing banded patterns of red and orange. Differences in copper speciation were investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and compared with colour and compositional variations obtained by EPMA. The shapes and sizes of colouring crystals could be investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscope imaging. The brown-red colour is due to metallic copper nano-particles and corresponds to a low-copper and low-lead group usually described in the literature. The orange samples and bands are coloured by copper oxide Cu2O nanoparticles with remaining Cu+ in the glass and have greater contents of Cu. Compositional analyses reveal that the same base glass is used in the red and orange bands with additions of Cu, Sn, Pb and probable Fe. Furthermore, based on our results and on the literature review, a high-copper low-lead group of glasses highlights the variability of compositions observed in cuprite colours.

Provincializing Roman Dacia: The Canadian–Romanian Apulum Roman Villa Project, 2018–2019

The Apulum Roman Villa Project (ARVP) examines the “provincialization” and “de-provincialization” of Roman Dacia through the archaeological micro-history of a villa site at Oarda-Bulza, just outside one of the provincial capitals at Apulum. As one of the first villas in Dacia to be excavated scientifically and from multidisciplinary perspectives, the site promises to shed new light on the interplays among forms of production, cultural consumption, community formation, and incorporation into a host of new imperial networks (economic, military, and social). Aerial, geophysical, and pedestrian surveys undertaken in 2018 allowed identification of four major buildings within an enclosure: an elite residential structure; a productive zone that also seems to have housed its own community; and two storage buildings. Additionally, traces of Early and Late Iron Age occupation have been identified on site. The surveys also point to the ongoing potential of the site for future excavations.

Increasing the Lateral Resolution of 3D-GPR Datasets through 2D-FFT Interpolation with Application to a Case Study of the Roman Villa of Horta da Torre (Fronteira, Portugal)

The approach presented in this work uses an interpolation methodology to densify 3D-GPR datasets to sharpen the results obtained in GPR surveys carried out in an archaeological environment. It allows the estimation of missing data from the combined use of mathematical transforms, such as the Fourier and curvelet transforms, and predictive filters. This technique makes it possible to calculate the missing signal simply by meeting two requirements: the data in the frequency domain must be limited in a range of values and must be able to be represented by a distribution of Fourier coefficients (verified conditions). The INT-FFT algorithm uses an open-access routine (Suinterp, Seismic Unix) to interpolate the GPR B-scans based on seismic trace interpolation. This process uses automatic event identification routines by calculating spatial derivatives to identify discontinuities in space by detecting very subtle changes in the signal, thus allowing for more efficient interpolation without artifacts or signal deterioration. We successfully tested the approach using GPR datasets from the Roman villa of Horta da Torre (Fronteira, Portugal). The results showed an increase in the geometric sharpness of the GPR reflectors and did not produce any numerical artifacts. The tests performed to apply the methodology to GPR-3D data allowed for assessing the interpolation efficiency, the level of estimation of missing data, and the level of information lost when we chose to increase the distance between B-scans in the acquisition stage.

EFFICIENT THREE-DIMENSIONAL SURVEY TECHNIQUES AND THEIR COMPARISON IN OPEN SOFTWARE IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEST SITE OF "NINFEO MAGGIORE" AND "NINFEO MINORE" OF FORMIA (LATINA, ITALY)

Abstract. In Europe and beyond, the cultural and archaeological heritage may have considerable extensions of hundreds of square metres if not kilometres. It is then necessary to study highly efficient techniques able , at the same time, to maintain centimetric accuracy. In these contexts, the SLAM technique can be an efficient solution. We tested the latter in a survey of a portion of the so-called Roman Villa of Caposele, also known as Villa Rubino in Formia, (Italy): the “Ninfeo Maggiore” and “Ninfeo Minore” (Major and Minor nymphaeum). The two structures had to be surveyed for both conservation and study purposes and to allow a virtual visit, which is particularly important since they are located inside a private property. The structure is complex, with a succession of rooms and environments in an archaeological complex extending approximately 480 metres in an east-west direction and approximately 50 metres in a south-north direction. We decided to survey both nymphaea with the “GEOSLAM Zeb Horizon”, also surveying all the internal connecting rooms and corridors between them. Both nymphaea were also surveyed with a “Faro” terrestrial laser scanning, to allow comparison. To verify the validity of the SLAM on the outside, a survey was carried out using a DJI Matrix drone with laser scanning. The comparison showed very limited deviations whose statistical validation is in progress, demonstrating that the SLAM technique can advantageously be used in such vast archaeological complexes where the efficiency and completeness of the survey is more important than the millimetric accuracy.

Reinterpreting a “Roman villa” site: First results of nondestructive archaeological research in Dračevica (Donji Radišići, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

AbstractThe article presents the results of archaeological prospection of site Dračevica (Donji Radišići, Ljubuški municipality, West Herzegovina Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina) which was partly excavated in the late 19th century and so far has been interpreted as a Roman villa, possibly with a special function (road station) and a name attested in ancient sources (Bigeste). Through the use of various nondestructive prospecting methods (aerial photogrammetry, fieldwalking survey, magnetic susceptibility, magnetometry, earth resistance), precise location with RTK GNSS and integration of the data in GIS, the site was restudied and reinterpreted. It was established that the structures are not isolated, as was assumed in the earlier research but rather were a part of a much larger Roman settlement. The research proves that the internal spatial division of the site is more complicated than previously thought, consisting of several building complexes located along a road, as well as land division systems. Such settlement pattern suggests similar, average‐sized land plots and farms. The importance of the research lies also in the methodological approach and the outcome of the geophysical research. Our research was the first application of nondestructive methods of archaeological prospection on Roman sites in the karst landscapes of West Herzegovina, proving the usefulness of the applied methodology in these specific and difficult conditions. We have found dependencies in between the geological background (thin layer of low resistive, colluvial soil on shallow limestone bedrock and the occurrence of highly magnetic terra rossa, formed on weathered limestone) and the geophysical responses registered by various instruments, that is, moderate to good magnetic and electric contrasts between the features and their surroundings, with relatively strong anomalies from geological features. The most important was finding relationships between particular magnetic and electrical anomalies and the presence of very shallow bedrock or faint archaeological remains (e.g. limestone walls). Our methodology, as well as some of our interpretations, will be helpful as a reference for further surveys in the region.

Das Hügelgrab von Baláca – Zur Problematik des monumentalen Bestattungsortes

AbstractThe burial site of the owner family of a Roman villa rustica in Baláca, dating back to the 2nd century AD, is a mound grave called Likas Hill. The Earth mound, originally 10–12 m high, with a diameter of about 37 m, covering a double burial chamber and a corridor, was surrounded by a red sandstone wall with a red sandstone cornice. There were tomb altars standing on its stepped footing. The mound had been heavily disturbed over the centuries, and nothing remained of the original burial. The larger fragments of the tombstones were carried away to constructions in the surrounding villages. Until now, it has not been possible to reconstruct the tomb inscriptions remaining in situ in a reassuring way from the fragments, nor to determine the date of construction of the tomb. The two animal burials dug into the Roman age surface, the bustum of a horse and a dog are the only undisturbed set finds of the mound. Excavation observations suggest the existence of additional bustums, which, along with the animal burials, would have been contained in a burial enclosure earlier than the enclosing wall and the tomb structure.

The Triumphs of Pelops and Bellerophon: Unique Mosaic Evidence ofRomanitasin Late Roman Britain

AbstractA Roman villa building at Mud Hole, Boxford, West Berkshire, was examined by excavation in 2017 and 2019, and found to be of probable fourth-century date. One room of this otherwise seemingly modest villa contained a remarkable late fourth-century figured mosaic, which features a number of rare mythological subjects not previously encountered in Britain. Inscriptions suggest the name of the villa owner (Caepio) and his wife (Fortunata), with a possible Spanish connection. The mosaic's central panel is ornamented with the triumphs of Pelops and Bellerophon, the former known only from two other mosaics, in Syria and Spain. The borders also contain depictions of stories unknown on other mosaics, but all concerned with aspects of triumph. The central panel is upheld by walkingtelamones(giants), otherwise only known on a mosaic from Tusculum, and the mosaicists have attempted to use foreshortening to give the floor atrompe l'oeileffect. The rare subjects depicted on the floor all relate to either Poseidon, Pelops, Bellerophon or Atlas, and suggest high standards of mythological knowledge and longevity of classical culture amongst the villa-owning inhabitants of late fourth-century Berkshire. The mosaic shows a connection to earlier depictions of the Pelops story, but is highly original in its interpretation of them and follows a contemporary trend, not previously encountered in Britain, of its subjects breaking out from their ornamental borders. The mosaic is an altogether exceptional discovery and can be considered an important example of late Roman art so far found in Britain.

Macroscopic and Petrographic Analyses of the Mortars from the Roman villa of Noheda (Villar de Domingo García, Cuenca)

The Roman villa of Noheda, located in the municipality of Villar de Domingo García (Cuenca), is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain and one of the most important museum complexes in Europe. In recent years, several archaeological investigations have been developed (archaeometry of building materials, natural resources, ways and roads). Furthermore, various restoration and consolidation works have been carried out on structures, walls and floors. The archaeological management team requested a characterisation of the mortars found in the coatings of the walls and floors of the complex to identify differences in its production. After checking the rooms, the state of conservation of the elements and the significance of the materials used, several mortar samples were analysed by means of macroscopic techniques before applying a petrographic analysis. The results showed an interesting variety in the distribution of aggregates, a complex microstratigraphy and a range of grain sizes in the mortars from different rooms. Magnesium, silica and aluminium from limestone were found. Crushed and powdered limestone was used as an aggregate with irregular distribution. Calcite nodules were observed as evidence that the mortar had been poorly mixed in preparation.

Geometry and Actual Construction in Brick Vaults by Slices: The Case of Carranque in Spain

This paper deals with the study of a rectangular plan sail vault built by brick slices in the Roman villa of Carranque in Spain in the fifth century, in the context of a research project on the constructive configuration of Mediterranean vaults of this kind. The project aims to identify technical links to trace their expansion and examine the possibilities of using this technique in present-day building practice. The case at Carranque confirms the arrival of this vaulting technique to the Iberian Peninsula prior to a possible diffusion through the Arab world. The analysis of a 3d photogrammetric model of the remains allows posing that the solution used to solve the slices meeting at the diagonal is different from Byzantine ones; the large perimetral arches were lowered, almost matching the height of the small ones, and a vertical area was placed, being arranged as if it were part of the vault itself. With this design, it is not easy to notice the rectangular form of the vault.

Preliminary results from GPR survey at the Roman villa of Caddeddi (Siracusa, Italy)

Abstract The Villa of Caddeddi, in the territory of Noto (Siracusa) is located on the south bank of the Tellaro river, about 3km from its mouth. The site, interpreted as a rural luxury residence dated to the 4th-5th century CE, was first discovered in 1972 and intermittently investigated in the subsequent decades and mostly studied from the perspectives of the splendid mosaic floors there uncovered. The excavated structure accounts for just a portion of the complex, which is partially covered by an 18th-19th century farmhouse. After a long period of neglect, the villa has been recently restored and opened to the public and become subject of new studies by the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) which in 2019 and 2020 conducted a remote sensing campaign entailing terrestrial laserscanning and ground penetrating radar.

Preliminary geophysical investigation in the archaeological site of Bocca delle Menate (Comacchio, FE)

Abstract The Bocca delle Menate archaeological site is located in Comacchio town (FE) and provides important evidence of the Roman presence in the Po Delta (Italy). The excavations realized sixty years ago have confirmed the presence of an extensive Roman villa and some part of it was highlighted. With the aim to identify the villa plan and the old highlighted archaeological remains, an archaeological preliminary survey and a geomagnetic geophysical campaign were carried out in October 2020. Although geophysical methods are now considered the best tools for archaeological detections, our results show that they are also excellent tools for the preservation, protection and monitoring of the excavated archaeological heritage.

Exploring Roman and Late Roman Common Buff Wares from the rural site of Sa Mesquida (Mallorca, Balearic Islands): Continuity of local production?

In previous studies, the Reference Group (RG) for common wares produced in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD at the kiln found at the Roman rural site of Sa Mesquida (western Mallorca) was established. Recent excavations have revealed that the Roman villa was founded at the beginning of the Augustan period or slightly earlier and that some ceramics found in these foundational layers resemble the ceramic products of the kiln. We also know now that the kiln itself and a large cistern were reused in the Late Roman period (4th and 5th centuries AD) as rubbish dumps, also containing regional (mostly produced in the island of Eivissa, but also others that are macroscopically like the products of the kiln) and other imported common wares. The macroscopic similarities between some of the earlier and later materials generated a series of important questions related to the possibility of a long-lasting local pottery-making tradition at this site or more broadly in western Mallorca. To explore this possibility, 74 common wares from different well-stratified layers were analytically characterized using a combination of Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence and Optical Microscopy by thin-section and both typologically and compositionally compared to the Early Imperial common buff wares produced at the site. The results provided a better understanding of the common wares at the site from a diachronic perspective. The comparison of the new ceramics analyzed from several contexts found at Sa Mesquida with the already established reference group for the common wares showed, in some cases, strong similarities in terms of chemical composition and petrographic fabrics both for early Roman and some Late Roman ceramics. On the other hand, the study also enabled the identification of other non-local groups (primarily products from the neighboring island of Eivissa), providing new information on the provenance and regional distribution of buff wares, a ceramic class whose importance has been often denied.

Archaeobotanical Data from villa rustica at Oarda-Bulza (Alba County). The 2019 Campaign

The article is discussing the macrobotanical remains which have been identified in soil samples taken from different archaeological contexts associated with the Roman villa rustica at Oarda-Bulza, Alba County, during the 2019 campaign. This is the first major agricultural estate from Roman Dacia which has been systematically investigated using an interdisciplinary approach, the primary aim being to shed light on the interplay between particular forms of production, cultural consumption, community formation, and the integration into a number of provincial and imperial networks. The analysis of this first set of macrobotanical remains is offering relevant data regarding the agricultural and consumption practices of the inhabitants who once lived on a very fertile area from the hinterland of Apulum, the most important conurbation from Roman Dacia.

Untangling the Taphonomy of Charred Plant Remains in Ritual Contexts: Late Antique and Medieval Churches and Graves from Croatia

ABSTRACT Food has played a central role in death rituals throughout human history, yet finding evidence of these practices in the archaeological record can be problematic. In particular, linking charred plant remains to inhumation burials requires careful consideration of the taphonomic processes involved. Here we focus on the recovery of charred plant macro-remains from four Late Antique and medieval cemeteries and one late medieval church in Croatia. The results showed low densities of both charcoal and other charred plant macro-remains, suggesting that the remains are general settlement debris that was accidentally deposited within the cemeteries and church context. At Bribirska Glavica, the sampling of stratigraphic layers at the multi-level cemetery allowed a greater understanding of taphonomic processes and corroborated the identification of a rubbish dump linked to an adjacent Roman villa. The results provide important insights for future sampling strategies, including the importance of taking control samples outside the graves and radiocarbon dating to determine whether botanical remains are related to the burials.

Portraits and Identity: “Roman” and “Elite” in the Late Antique Villas of Aquitania

This article examines late antique marble portraits from three Roman villas in Aquitania (southwestern France). These objects are striking evidence for a vibrant, Theodosian-era (r. 379–95 CE) portrait tradition, which contrasts with the absence of contemporary portraiture elsewhere in the western provinces. This raises questions about the motivations and identities of the patrons, which I investigate by approaching the portrait as a tool for the construction and navigation of “elite” and “Roman” identities. Such claims were politically charged in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, which witnessed the admission of outsiders (the nouveaux riches and “barbarians” like the Visigoths) into high society.

The Late Roman Mosaics from the Villa of Pont del Treball Digne, Barcelona

The construction of the new La Sagrera high-speed rail line station in Barcelona revealed a new archaeological site whose remains were identified as a roman villa. The studies undertaken have allowed the foundation of the settlement to be dated to the first half of the 1st century BC and to identify different building and refurbishment phases. The most important transformation of the pars urbana was undertaken in the late 4th century AD. We attest the creation of new living spaces dedicated mainly to the social functions of the villa and the representation of the dominus. A new decorative programme was also implemented at this time. It included two mosaic and opus sectile floors and marble wall linings. This process of enriching the domestic space took place in parallel with similar refurbishment programmes documented in the roman town of Barcino. The aim of this study is to conduct the compositional analysis of these late pavements. Moreover, some chronological appreciations about the pavements construction can be made, due to ceramic studies.

Antequera’nın Roma Mozaikleri. Genel Bir Bakış

The present-day city of Antequera, in the province of Malaga, Spain, dominates an extensive territory encompassing numerous archaeological sites from different eras. The urban centres of Singilia Barba, Anticaria and Aratispi, belong to the Roman period, now only offering us two mosaics, and a good number of rural properties, from which most of the set of Antequera mosaics come.
 Within the Antequeran mosaic repertoire, the geometric mosaic occupies a special place, with specimens of great beauty and excellent design, for example those in the majestic Roman villa of La Estación. From a figurative point of view, Antequera has beautiful specimens, such as the Oceanus mosaic of the baths of Santa María and that of the Erotes and Priapus figures of the Roman villae of La Estación and Bobadilla, respectively. Particularly, the Roman villa of Caserío Silverio has a heritage consisting of a large number of figurative representations, highlighting the imposing, although poorly preserved, pavement of the triclinium. This mosaic must have contained a scene related to the mythology of water, of which singular fragments are preserved, such as the representation of the Tiber River and some epigraphic verses extracted from book IV of Vergil’s Georgics.