- VU University
Fac. of Arts
De Boelelaan 1105
NL - 1081 HV Amsterdam - +31 20 598 6438
Ton Derks
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Arts, Faculty Member
- Archaeology of Childhood, Latin Epigraphy, Archaeology of Ritual, Roman Gaul, Gender Archaeology, Archaeology of Gender, and 10 moreArchaeology and politics, Ancient History, Life course, Roman History, Roman Law, Roman Epigraphy, Roman Archaeology, Roman Military Diplomas, Rites of Passage, and Mensa ponderariaedit
- My main field of interest are the northwestern provinces of the Roman empire. Since I was trained in classics as well... moreMy main field of interest are the northwestern provinces of the Roman empire. Since I was trained in classics as well as archaeology, I have always had a strong interest in Latin epigraphy. In most of my work, I try to combine archaeological, historical as well as epigraphic evidence.
My doctoral dissertation was about religious change in Roman Gaul, a topic that continues to have my interest. More recently, however, my work has widened to include other areas of identity construction, particularly those generated by the Roman army. I have been working on seal-boxes and the latinization of the Lower Rhine frontier area, on constructs of ethnic identity in inscriptions of Batavian and other auxiliary soldiers, and on combs and bodily appearance of Roman army soldiers.
Currently, I am co-editing a volume on Roman villa-landscapes in the north (with N. Roymans). For the near future, I hope to get back to a long-term project on rituals of the life course in Rome and the northwestern provinces.
Since 2001 I have been serving on the editorial board of Archaeological Dialogues, with great pleasure.edit
In 1976, amateur-archaeologists working under the supervision of the then Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (State Service for Archaeology) carried out a rescue excavation on a parcel west of the modern village of Buchten,... more
In 1976, amateur-archaeologists working under the supervision of the then Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (State Service for Archaeology) carried out a rescue excavation on a parcel west of the modern village of Buchten, province of Limburg. During the fieldwork the remains of a sanctuary of the Roman period devoted to the cult of the otherwise unknown local goddess Arcanua, and an early medieval cemetery were uncovered. This volume is the final publication on this rescue excavation. Since the documentation preserved in the archives of what had been found in the field approved to be rather poor and deficient, chapter 3 tries to reconstruct the progress of the fieldwork on the basis of archival documents as well as photographs and slides made by the amateur archaeologists and others. Chapter 4 deals with the landscape as well as with the settlement history in the Roman and early medieval periods in the area around the site. The next three chapters constitute the core of this publication and describe the features (chapter 5) and finds (chapters 6 and 7) with the last of these chapters being entirely devoted to a discussion of the single special find of a bronze enamelled cockerel with inscribed pedestal and its parallels (chapter 7).
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This new volume of the Amsterdam Archaeological Studies seeks to offer a fresh perspective on the integration of marginal areas in the Roman empire. Starting from a multidimensional approach it analyses the social dynamics that led to... more
This new volume of the Amsterdam Archaeological Studies seeks to offer a fresh perspective on the integration of marginal areas in the Roman empire. Starting from a multidimensional approach it analyses the social dynamics that led to the development of a large villa in the relatively poor and peripheral hinterland of the Lower Rhine limes. A central role is attributed to agency and the interplay of military and urban networks and native social structures.
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This edited volume presents a synthesis of recent research on villas ans villa landscapes in the northern provinces of the Roman world. It offers an original, multi-dimensional perspective on social, economic and cultural functioning of... more
This edited volume presents a synthesis of recent research on villas ans villa landscapes in the northern provinces of the Roman world. It offers an original, multi-dimensional perspective on social, economic and cultural functioning of villas within the context of the Roman empire. Themes discussed include the economic basis of villa dominated landscapes, rural slavery, town-country dynamics, the role of monumental burials in villa landscapes, and self-representation and lifestyle of villa owners. This study offers a major contribution to the comparative research of villa landscapes and the phenomenon of regionality in Roman rural landscapes.
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This volume explores the theme of ethnicity and ethnogenesis in societies of the ancient world. Its starting point is the current view in the social and historical sciences of ethnicity as a subjective construct that is shaped through... more
This volume explores the theme of ethnicity and ethnogenesis in societies of the ancient world. Its starting point is the current view in the social and historical sciences of ethnicity as a subjective construct that is shaped through interaction with an ethnic 'other'. The 13 essays collected in this volume are based on the analysis of historical, epigraphic and archaeological source material and thematically range from Archaic Greece to Early Mediaeval Western Europe. Despite frequent claims by ethnic groups to the contrary, all ethnic formations are intrinsically unstable and dynamic over time. Much of this dynamism is to be understood in close association with conflict, violence and changing constellations of power. The explicit theoretical framework, together with the wide range of case-studies makes this volume indispensable for historians, archaeologists and social scientists with an interest in the ancient world.
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In 1947, the foundations of two temples of the Roman imperial period were discovered during excavations within the walls of the Great Church at Elst. The results were published by J.E. Bogaers, De Gallo-Romeinse tempels te Elst in de... more
In 1947, the foundations of two temples of the Roman imperial period were discovered during excavations within the walls of the Great Church at Elst. The results were published by J.E. Bogaers, De Gallo-Romeinse tempels te Elst in de Over-Betuwe, The Hague 1955. In 2002-2003, after Roman finds had come to light during sewer works in the street around the church, four small trenches were dug on the premises of the church and two adjacent parcels. The excavation was conducted by order of the municipality and aimed at determining the extent and quality of the sanctuary's remains outside the church walls. Although the limits of the sanctuary could not be established, important new data on the chronology of the sanctuary, the identity of the deity and selection of sacrificial animals were collected.
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This paper studies rural populations in the Roman frontier province of Germania inferior, employing a perspective that allocates more space to the exploitative and repressive aspects of Roman rule. We draw attention to an alternative... more
This paper studies rural populations in the Roman frontier province of Germania inferior, employing a perspective that allocates more space to the exploitative and repressive aspects of Roman rule. We draw attention to an alternative series of topics than the ones currently presented in rural archaeology. This includes attention to situations of crisis and instability, to fundamental reordering of rural populations, to issues of migration and to the interconnectivity of rural developments and imperial power structures. While these topics are usually considered as ‘historically given’, they are rarely the subject of serious archaeological research. This attempt at a more historicising approach does not mean a simple return to the traditional paradigm of historische Altertumskunde. Much better equipped than our predecessors of two or three generations ago, we archaeologists of the 21st century are able to engage in a critical and creative dialogue with historical sources and models.
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Bij graafwerkzaamheden in de Houtense wijk Molenzoom kwamen in april 2000 onder meer fragmenten van twee kalkstenen grafstèles uit de Romeinse tijd tevoorschijn. Eén ervan kenmerkt zich door een Latijnse grafinscriptie en een... more
Bij graafwerkzaamheden in de Houtense wijk Molenzoom kwamen in april 2000 onder meer fragmenten van twee kalkstenen grafstèles uit de Romeinse tijd tevoorschijn. Eén ervan kenmerkt zich door een Latijnse grafinscriptie en een gebeeldhouwde voorstelling van de ...
The Roman conquest of western Europe had many consequences for the local inhabitants; although the social-political and economical circumstances have been investigated thoroughly, very little attention has been paid to effects on... more
The Roman conquest of western Europe had many consequences for the local inhabitants; although the social-political and economical circumstances have been investigated thoroughly, very little attention has been paid to effects on religious life. In this book for the first time a ...
KNAW Narcis. Back to search results. Publication The ritual of the vow in Gallo-Roman religion (1995). Pagina-navigatie: Main. ...
Ton Derks, La perception du panthéon romain par une élite indigène : le cas des inscriptions votives de la Germanie inférieure, p. 7-23. Le propos de cette étude est l'analyse du panthéon indigène et de ses principales... more
Ton Derks, La perception du panthéon romain par une élite indigène : le cas des inscriptions votives de la Germanie inférieure, p. 7-23. Le propos de cette étude est l'analyse du panthéon indigène et de ses principales transformations après la conquête romaine. La question ...
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Seal-boxes in context: a new monographic study from Augst. ALEX R. FURGER, MAYA WARTMANN und EMILIE RIHA, MIT BEITRÄGEN VON KATJA HUNGER, ERWIN HILDBRAND, VERA HUBERT und MARIE WÖRLE SOWIE JORGE E. SPANGENBERG, DIE RÖMISCHEN SIEGELKAPSELN AUS AUGUSTA RAURICA (Forschungen in Augst 44, 2009). 251 S...more
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This paper studies rural populations in the Roman frontier province of Germania inferior, employing a perspective that allocates more space to the exploitative and repressive aspects of Roman rule. We draw attention to an alternative... more
This paper studies rural populations in the Roman frontier province of Germania inferior, employing a perspective that allocates more space to the exploitative and repressive aspects of Roman rule. We draw attention to an alternative series of topics than the ones currently presented in rural archaeology. This includes attention to situations of crisis and instability, to fundamental reordering of rural populations, to issues of migration and to the interconnectivity of rural developments and imperial power structures. While these topics are usually considered as 'historically given', they are rarely the subject of serious archaeological research. This attempt at a more historicising approach does not mean a simple return to the traditional paradigm of historische Altertumskunde. Much better equipped than our predecessors of two or three generations ago, we archaeologists of the 21st century are able to engage in a critical and creative dialogue with historical sources and models.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a new comprehensive overview of the sources that are presently available for a history of Batavi in the Roman army. Previous scholarship often dealt only with certain specific units in which... more
The purpose of this paper is to present a new comprehensive overview of the sources that are presently available for a history of Batavi in the Roman army. Previous scholarship often dealt only with certain specific units in which Batavians served (the imperial bodyguard, for example, or the cavalry regiments), or exclusively treated either the historical or the epigraphic sources.
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This paper reports the find of a small rectangular bronze sheet with a central bulb which seems to reproduce the shape of a shield in miniature form. The sheet carries a punched inscription mentioning the Tenth Legion. The find, which was... more
This paper reports the find of a small rectangular bronze sheet with a central bulb which seems to reproduce the shape of a shield in miniature form. The sheet carries a punched inscription mentioning the Tenth Legion. The find, which was discovered together with many other finds during sand and gravel extraction works in the bed of the river Maas near Kessel, province of North Brabant, suggests that the legion, or part thereof, is the first to shed light on the nature of the military presence at the site.
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The two fitting fragments of a military diploma were found on the site of the Roman villa and indigenous settlement at Hoogeloon after the excavations by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam had been concluded. One of the fragments is briefly... more
The two fitting fragments of a military diploma were found on the site of the Roman villa and indigenous settlement at Hoogeloon after the excavations by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam had been concluded. One of the fragments is briefly mentioned in RMD III, p. 362, no. 19; the other fragment, found more than 10 years later, had remained unpublished. The diploma may have been issued before AD 114.
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This article discusses distribution, form, function and symbolism of the votive altars from the Roman province of Lower Germany with a particular focus on the hundreds of such monuments from the two sanctuaries of Nehalennia.
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This paper investigates how parents in the provinces of the Roman empire tried to cope with the ever-lurking peril of infant disease and death. While the topic itself is not new, this paper attempts to take the argument in new directions... more
This paper investigates how parents in the provinces of the Roman empire tried to cope with the ever-lurking peril of infant disease and death. While the topic itself is not new, this paper attempts to take the argument in new directions by focusing on a neglected set of data: infant votives from sanctuaries in Roman Gaul and Germany. It is argued that most of these votives were offered in the context of rites of passage that accompanied the very young child through the earliest stages of its life-cycle. The votives thus document that parents were keen to seek divine protection for their off-spring in order to ward off the new-born’s early death.
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In this paper, a new inscribed votive altar with sacrificial scene dedicated to the matronae is presented. The altar was allegedly found in the late 1980s in a ploughed field near Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen) and has changed owners several... more
In this paper, a new inscribed votive altar with sacrificial scene dedicated to the matronae is presented. The altar was allegedly found in the late 1980s in a ploughed field near Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen) and has changed owners several times since. Apart from the top right corner, which has broken off but has been preserved, the altar is nearly complete. It was erected by the peregrine dedicator Masius Neganefi (filius), who is most likely to be identified with the man depicted on the right side of the sacrificial scene below. Wearing a tunic and the paenula Masius is about to offer wine on the burning altar. The woman on the left is wearing the typical headdress of the Ubian married woman; even if she has gone unmentioned in the inscription, she may be easily identified as his wife. The new find is the first example of a Lower Rhine votive altar with sacrificial scene that has been dedicated by someone of local origin who had not (yet) been enfranchised. Given the local background of the dedicators, it may be assumed that the couple belonged to a family of middle class farmers who possessed land in the immediate vicinity of the find spot of the altar.
Résumé
Un nouvel autel votif avec une scène de sacrifice dédié au matrones en provenance de Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen)
Cet article présente un nouvel autel votif avec inscription et une scène de sacrifice qui est dédié au matrones. L’autel aurait été découvert à la fin des années 1980 dans un champ labouré à proximité de Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen). Il a depuis plusiers fois changé de propriétaire. A l’exception de l’angle supérieur droit qui est cassé (le fragment est cependant conservé), l’autel est intégralement conservé. Il a été dédicacé par le pérégrin Masius Neganefi (filius), qui est sans aucun doute le personnage masculin représenté sur la partie inférieure droite de l’autel, dans la scène de dédicace. Vêtu d’une tunique et d’un paenula, Masius est en train de faire une libation de vin sur l’autel en flammes. La femme à sa gauche porte la coiffure traditionnelle des épouses ubiennes, bien que n’étant pas évoquée dans la dédicace, elle peut-être identifiée comme son épouse. Cette nouvelle découverte est le premier exemple connu sur un autel votif inscrit de la vallée du Rhin qui a été dédicacé par quelqu’un de provenance locale, qui ne dispose pas (encore) du droit romain. Sur la base de l’origine locale du dédicant, on peut proposer qu’il s’agisse d’une couple d’agriculteurs de classe moyenne qui possédait des terres à proximité immédiate du lieu de découverte de l’autel.
Traduction: L. Bernard
Résumé
Un nouvel autel votif avec une scène de sacrifice dédié au matrones en provenance de Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen)
Cet article présente un nouvel autel votif avec inscription et une scène de sacrifice qui est dédié au matrones. L’autel aurait été découvert à la fin des années 1980 dans un champ labouré à proximité de Mechernich (Kr. Euskirchen). Il a depuis plusiers fois changé de propriétaire. A l’exception de l’angle supérieur droit qui est cassé (le fragment est cependant conservé), l’autel est intégralement conservé. Il a été dédicacé par le pérégrin Masius Neganefi (filius), qui est sans aucun doute le personnage masculin représenté sur la partie inférieure droite de l’autel, dans la scène de dédicace. Vêtu d’une tunique et d’un paenula, Masius est en train de faire une libation de vin sur l’autel en flammes. La femme à sa gauche porte la coiffure traditionnelle des épouses ubiennes, bien que n’étant pas évoquée dans la dédicace, elle peut-être identifiée comme son épouse. Cette nouvelle découverte est le premier exemple connu sur un autel votif inscrit de la vallée du Rhin qui a été dédicacé par quelqu’un de provenance locale, qui ne dispose pas (encore) du droit romain. Sur la base de l’origine locale du dédicant, on peut proposer qu’il s’agisse d’une couple d’agriculteurs de classe moyenne qui possédait des terres à proximité immédiate du lieu de découverte de l’autel.
Traduction: L. Bernard
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Short contribution to the catalogue that goes with the new permanent exhibition of the Allard Pierson Museum's Roman department dealing with changes in the religious landscape in the northwestern corner of the Roman empire.
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In the first and second centuries AD, the Roman society in the Low Countries was subject to change in many areas: religious expression, material culture, burial rituals, architecture, economy. But, we may ask, was central burial of the... more
In the first and second centuries AD, the Roman society in the Low Countries was subject to change in many areas: religious expression, material culture, burial rituals, architecture, economy. But, we may ask, was central burial of the dead in the Batavian countryside something that started under the influence of Roman culture, or was it in fact a local reaction meant to increase the sense of community? And what kind of impact did the presence of the Roman military have? These are difficult questions that historians of Antiquity and archaeologists have not been asking for very long, and that we are still trying to answer.
Scholars have long assumed that in the province of Germania Inferior there was a clear-cut contrast between native and ‘Roman’ ways and cultural values. This cliché view, however, has taken a beating over the last years, because we have increasingly taken dynamics and reciprocal influence into consideration. The new approach does more justice to what Rome’s religious and cultural imperialism meant for local communities.
Local identities were under high pressure and were changing continuously—which is why mutual influence probably occurred between these identities and the values that from the central authority of the Roman Empire seeped through to the countryside of a border province on the Rhine.
Scholars have long assumed that in the province of Germania Inferior there was a clear-cut contrast between native and ‘Roman’ ways and cultural values. This cliché view, however, has taken a beating over the last years, because we have increasingly taken dynamics and reciprocal influence into consideration. The new approach does more justice to what Rome’s religious and cultural imperialism meant for local communities.
Local identities were under high pressure and were changing continuously—which is why mutual influence probably occurred between these identities and the values that from the central authority of the Roman Empire seeped through to the countryside of a border province on the Rhine.
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Derks, T., 2008: Les rites de passage et leur manifestation matérielle dans les sanctuaires des Trévires, in D. Castella / M.-F. Meylan Krause (eds), Topographie sacrée et rituels: le cas d'Aventicum, capitale des Helvètes. Actes du colloque international d'Avenches, 2-4 novembre 2006, Basel (Antiqua 43), 191-204.more
Traditionnellement, le mobilier archéologique des sanctuaires de Gaule romaine a été étudié en termes de continuité plutôt que de rupture. Ainsi, les interprétations du passé ont été guidées par une approche «celtisante» qui considère le... more
Traditionnellement, le mobilier archéologique des sanctuaires de Gaule romaine a été étudié en termes de continuité plutôt que de rupture. Ainsi, les interprétations du passé ont été guidées par une approche «celtisante» qui considère le mobilier archéologique d’époque romaine provenant des sanctuaires comme la matérialisation concrète de rites gaulois préexistants. C’est notamment le cas des dédicaces des sanctuaires trévires qui constituent le sujet principal de cette étude. Une série d’indices permet en effet d’écarter l’identification communément admise de dédicaces offertes à une divinité celtique en récompense d’une guérison divine et de proposer une nouvelle interprétation en termes de rites de passage. Au terme de l’enquête, sont également posées les questions de l’origine de ces rites et de leur transformation à l’époque romaine.
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The ruling elite of the local communities in the Roman provinces are mainly known through epigraphic texts. These texts have often been studied as a source in themselves. In this paper, I adopt a contextual approach to study the... more
The ruling elite of the local communities in the Roman provinces are mainly known through epigraphic texts. These texts have often been studied as a source in themselves. In this paper, I adopt a contextual approach to study the inscriptions of councillors and magistrates of several civitates in Belgic Gaul and Lower Germany in relation to their archaeological context, with particular reference to villa sites and civitas capitals. Based on historical as well archaeological evidence, it is first argued that there cannot have been a standard size for the local ordines. Findspots of inscriptions of councillors and magistrates in the countryside are then used as indicators for rural properties and burial places on rural estates. The final section of this paper deals with the bronze inscriptions from the villa of Valkenburg-‘Ravensbos’ which provide some nice examples of personal and political patronage. The results of a re-examination and restitution of these texts, which after their first publication in the excavation report of 1925 have never been re-studied again, have been added as an appendix to this paper.
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Excavations in the late 19th century and surveys carried out in the 1970s have produced 12 boxwood combs from the Roman fort at Vechten (NL). They are to be considered waste material that was dumped in the river Rhine which in the Roman... more
Excavations in the late 19th century and surveys carried out in the 1970s have produced 12 boxwood combs from the Roman fort at Vechten (NL). They are to be considered waste material that was dumped in the river Rhine which in the Roman period ran just north of the camp. In this article, this set of artefacts is first discussed. It is argued that such boxwood combs were a regular phenomenon in military and urban settlements of the Roman period.
Though in Roman archaeology combs have been mainly associated with women and female beauty, the finds from the fort at Vechten suggest that in this particular case they were mainly used by the male population of the local garrison for combing their hair, cleaning the scalp and hair from dust, dandruff, and parasites, and perhaps for trimming their beards. Through an analogy with early modern and contemporary state armies, it is finally argued that the combs played a key role in the creation and maintenance of an imposed military culture aimed at the strengthening of group cohesion and an esprit de corps. In contrast with the heroic warrior, the bodily appearance of the Roman soldier may thus have been prescribed by rules that were set by army commanders rather than generated by personal choice.
Though in Roman archaeology combs have been mainly associated with women and female beauty, the finds from the fort at Vechten suggest that in this particular case they were mainly used by the male population of the local garrison for combing their hair, cleaning the scalp and hair from dust, dandruff, and parasites, and perhaps for trimming their beards. Through an analogy with early modern and contemporary state armies, it is finally argued that the combs played a key role in the creation and maintenance of an imposed military culture aimed at the strengthening of group cohesion and an esprit de corps. In contrast with the heroic warrior, the bodily appearance of the Roman soldier may thus have been prescribed by rules that were set by army commanders rather than generated by personal choice.
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This paper presents four fragments of bronze inscriptions which were found during an excavation at Naaldwijk, The Netherlands. One of them is a base for a statue of Hadrian erected by the Rhine fleet (classis Germanica). Another seems to... more
This paper presents four fragments of bronze inscriptions which were found during an excavation at Naaldwijk, The Netherlands. One of them is a base for a statue of Hadrian erected by the Rhine fleet (classis Germanica). Another seems to be part of an imperial (?) address. The excavations seem to have revealed part of a military settlement next to which a strong point of the Rhine fleet may be expected.
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This paper discusses a fragment of a new Roman military diploma that was handed out to an auxiliary soldier of the army of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana between July 10th 138 A.D. and the middle of 157 A.D. The fragment, that... more
This paper discusses a fragment of a new Roman military diploma that was handed out to an auxiliary soldier of the army of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana between July 10th 138 A.D. and the middle of 157 A.D. The fragment, that was offered for sale on the internet and is now kept in Dutch private possession, is said to originate from Bulgaria.
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This paper offers a re-interpretation of the votive inscriptions and stone statues of children from the sanctuary of Lenus Mars located just outside ancient Trier. It challenges the traditional view of a 'Celtic' healing cult and tries to... more
This paper offers a re-interpretation of the votive inscriptions and stone statues of children from the sanctuary of Lenus Mars located just outside ancient Trier. It challenges the traditional view of a 'Celtic' healing cult and tries to interpret the iconography of the children's statues in terms of classic genre representations of an emblematic childhood in which the children are portrayed playing with pets etc.. It is argued that these statues might rather have been offered in the context of a rite of passage associated with the coming of age.
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Initially regarded as perfume boxes, amulet-holders, or pendants, seal-boxes are now generally accepted as having been containers for wax imprints used to seal a range of items, and written documents in particular. In this paper, we... more
Initially regarded as perfume boxes, amulet-holders, or pendants, seal-boxes are now generally accepted as having been containers for wax imprints used to seal a range of items, and written documents in particular. In this paper, we assume that most will have been used to seal letters on wax tablets.
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Kontinuität und Diskontinuität-RGA-E Band 35-Seiten 242-265 © Copyright 2002 Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York Siegelkapseln und die Verbreitung der lateinischen Schriftkultur im Rheindelta Von TON DERKS und NICO R. OYMANS 1. Einführung... more
Kontinuität und Diskontinuität-RGA-E Band 35-Seiten 242-265 © Copyright 2002 Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York Siegelkapseln und die Verbreitung der lateinischen Schriftkultur im Rheindelta Von TON DERKS und NICO R. OYMANS 1. Einführung Obwohl seit langem ...
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One of the central issues when studying the material remains of sanctuaries in the Roman provinces is determining the impact of Roman imperialism on the religious practices of provin-cial communities. How were the pantheon, the spatial... more
One of the central issues when studying the material remains of sanctuaries in the Roman provinces is determining the impact of Roman imperialism on the religious practices of provin-cial communities. How were the pantheon, the spatial organisation and architecture of cult ...
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This is clearly very different from the phenomenological approach recently propagated by Tilley. While I am prepared to support Tilley s claims, firstly that the concept of dwelling con-stitutes one of the 'fundamental... more
This is clearly very different from the phenomenological approach recently propagated by Tilley. While I am prepared to support Tilley s claims, firstly that the concept of dwelling con-stitutes one of the 'fundamental presuppositions for beginning to think about the relation-ship ...
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The relationship between text and image is a theme that has a topical dimension following the replacement since the 1980s of the logocentrism prevalent from Luther's times by Baudrillard's 'visual turn', and subsequently a 'pictorial... more
The relationship between text and image is a theme that has a topical dimension following the replacement since the 1980s of the logocentrism prevalent from Luther's times by Baudrillard's 'visual turn', and subsequently a 'pictorial turn' with the 'increasing mediatisation of reality in postmodernism' (Mitchell 1994, 106: Squire 2009). Geographically the session will concentrate on the Roman Atlantic provinces of the Roman Empire from Britannia to western Hispania, as they present a range of commonalities relevant to the topic: on the one hand the lack of writing, on the other a pictorial world that was not particularly pronounced. By restricting the topic to sanctuaries, the phenomenon is given a spatial context that is a priori suited like no other to providing a graphic illustration of the relationship between Roman verbal culture on the one hand, and native pictorial tradition on the other, as well as combining it with religious historical questions where applicable.
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The study of cultural change in the Roman world is increasingly benefitting from longer term and wider geographical perspectives, lifting artificial boundaries between Republican period Mediterranean and Imperial period provincial... more
The study of cultural change in the Roman world is increasingly benefitting from longer term and wider geographical perspectives, lifting artificial boundaries between Republican period Mediterranean and Imperial period provincial studies. Works such as Keay/Terrenato 2001 have shown how different academic traditions shaped scholarly opinion in ways that cannot only be accounted for by real regional differences in antiquity. Different academic backgrounds and traditions have also been key to modern understandings of religious change. Although some similar divides between Italy and provinces, and Republican and Imperial period are discernable, the debate on the 'religious romanization' of the conquered areas has also taken very different paths. This session explores the interaction – or lack thereof – between the expanding Roman empire and existing or newly emerging religious and cultic constellations by focusing on the archaeology of cults and cult places. Carefully collected and analyzed archaeological data can offer information on the way that sacred spaces were established and used over time, and for processes of transformation where traditionally we have seen static and continuous cultic activity. At the same time, in such approaches the tension between large-scale overarching interpretations and the single constituent parts is particularly evident and needs explicit consideration. Engaging with different research traditions and areas, the session seeks to explore common trends as well as variabilities from a wide geographical and temporal perspective.
Coloniae, civitates foederatae, ager: culti e santuari nel Piceno meridionale tra romanizzazione e municipalizzazione, Filippo Demma and Tommaso Casci Ceccacci
Cult places during the Roman conquest of Eastern Iberia (3rdc. BC-1stc. AD). Transformations of ritual practices and sacred landscapes, Ignacio Grau Mira
Romans at Greek sanctuaries: a view from the Aegean, Annelies Cazemier
De-Romanizing religious developments in the Roman West, Ralph Haussler
The impact of empire on cult places and ritual practices in Roman Gaul and Germany, Ton Derks
Mithraism and Religious Change: A View from Apulum Mithraeum III, Matt McCarty, Mariana Egri, Aurel Rustoiu
Coloniae, civitates foederatae, ager: culti e santuari nel Piceno meridionale tra romanizzazione e municipalizzazione, Filippo Demma and Tommaso Casci Ceccacci
Cult places during the Roman conquest of Eastern Iberia (3rdc. BC-1stc. AD). Transformations of ritual practices and sacred landscapes, Ignacio Grau Mira
Romans at Greek sanctuaries: a view from the Aegean, Annelies Cazemier
De-Romanizing religious developments in the Roman West, Ralph Haussler
The impact of empire on cult places and ritual practices in Roman Gaul and Germany, Ton Derks
Mithraism and Religious Change: A View from Apulum Mithraeum III, Matt McCarty, Mariana Egri, Aurel Rustoiu
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A catalogue of graves and observations on taphonomy and physical anthropology of burials excavated at the site of Buchten (The Netherlands). Published in: Derks T. and B. de Fraiture 2015 Een Romeins heiligdom bij Buchten. Rapportage... more
A catalogue of graves and observations on taphonomy and physical anthropology of burials excavated at the site of Buchten (The Netherlands). Published in: Derks T. and B. de Fraiture 2015 Een Romeins heiligdom bij Buchten. Rapportage Archeologische Monumentenzorg 226, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed Amersfoort page 59-81.
The 28 graves are described on the basis of old photographs and field drawings and are considered to be the remains of an early medieval cemtery dated between the seventh and the ninth century.
The 28 graves are described on the basis of old photographs and field drawings and are considered to be the remains of an early medieval cemtery dated between the seventh and the ninth century.