Bas Empire

Le centre monumental roman d'Apollonia d'Illyrie, en Albanie, est un ensemble datant du Haut-Empire. Négligées au moment des fouilles, tant françaises au début du XXe siècle qu'albanaises dans le troisième quart de ce même siècle, les vestiges d'un réaménagement datant du Bas-Empire ont partiellement subsisté. Cet article tente d'en faire l'inventaire et de caractériser cette réoccupation.

The burgus of Obermendig ,Im Winkel' is located on a small hill dose to the Mayen-Kottenheim millstone quarries. In addition to a function as a horreum, it was also inhabited and served as a fortification as it is indicated by its topographical position, construction, militaria and indications of a defensive wall. The building was used from the first half of the 4th century to the first third of the 5th century. Cause to a fire, apart of the deaned spelt stock has been preserved. In addition there was evidence for stored fruit and bread or porridge. The burgus granary would have been much too large for a villa of 46 ha. It probably contained supplies for the workmen in the quarries.

Der burgus von Obermendig ,Im Winkel' liegt auf einer kleinen Anhöhe bei den Mayen-Kottenheimer Mühlsteinbrüchen. Neben einer Funktion als horreum war er bewohnt und diente nach topografischer Position, Bauweise, Militaria und Hinweisen auf eine Umwehrung als Wehrbau. Die Anlage wurde von der ersten Hälfte des 4. Jahrhundersts bis in das erste Drittel des 5. Jahrhunderts genutzt. Aufgrund eines Brandes blieb ein Teil des gereinigten Dinkelvorrats erhalten; daneben fanden sich noch Hinweise auf eingelagertes Obst sowie Brot oder Brei. Als Kornspeicher wäre der burgus für eine Villa von 46 ha viel zu groß gewesen. Er enthielt vermutlich Vorräte für die Steinbrucharbeiter.

Une silique inédite de l'éphémère empereur Constans II pour l'atelier de Trèves et de nouvelles pistes pour l'identification de la marque SMCS lue à l'exergue de certaine de ses siliques qui présentent des similitudes de style avec la nouvelle monnaie présentée.

The very rare minting of Constans II counts a new bust type since an unpublished siliqua from the mint of Trier . On account of the style, very similar to another siliqua with the exergue SMCS, it's discussed here of the possible meaning of this very unusual mintmark SMCS

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the fundamental theoretical problems surrounding the background
of the Ölandic ring forts. Up to now, there have only been two different schools of thought that have offered any coherent argumentation as to the origin of the ring forts. The first school is based on an ethnological perspective. It argues that any human society has an innate capacity to independently create
structures such as radial houses surrounded by ring walls, and that the ring forts are hence domestic creations without outside influence (Näsman 1989). The second school argues for an influence from Late Roman and Byzantine border fortifications and that these also explain the finds of Late Roman solidi on Öland (Werner 1949). It claims that the ring forts were the result from contacts along the interface of two
cultures and the ring forts hence represent a gradual diffusion and evolution of a Mediterranean concept in Barbaricum. None of the two schools has tried to argue from a macroeconomic perspective of progressive global economic decline and social crisis leading to the evolution of a new building
type. In this paper, the origin of the ring forts is sought in a much wider phenomenon, that of the urban crisis of the decaying late 3rd century Roman Empire. The author argues that the ring forts on Öland have a far more common evolutionary precedent in the shape of fortified amphitheaters throughout the Roman world. The latter is a widely known phenomenon (Blanchet 1907, Butler 1959) not discussed by either of the two schools.

"The “barbarization”, although accepted by some scholars and rejected by others, remains a crucial theme when one studies the Late Antique period. This paper focuses on a particular timeframe (376-395 A.D.) and tries to deny the importance of this phenomenon in the events that led to the “fall” of the western Empire.

We usually see Theodosius Ist as the one responsible for aggravating the “barbarization” in the Empire and the army. However, an investigation of the battle of Adrianople, the peace treaty (foedus) of 382 with some of the “Goths” and the Notitia Dignitatum shows that “barbarization” was not as dramatic as previously conceived. Moreover, the analysis of terms such as “barbarization”, “barbarian”, βάρβαρος and “Roman” as well as the difficulty to define the ethnicity and identity of “barbarians” based on archaeological remains shows the precarious character of taking a rigid position on the “barbarization” phenomenon."

La fin de l’Antiquité joua un rôle majeur dans l’évolution de la ville de Tarbes. Au IIe siècle, Tarbes connaît un important exode urbain qui mena à la paupérisation de la ville. Les habitations du secteur nord sont abandonnées dès le milieu du IIe siècle, tandis que le quartier est est peu à peu abandonné, comme en témoigne le comblement du canal maçonné de la place de Verdun. Tarbes se rétracte fortement, passant d’une ville de 20 ha à un bourg de 2 ha. À partir du deuxième quart du IVe siècle, un agglomérat de structures se développe autour de l’actuelle cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède. Un îlot d’habitation est érigé autour de l’église paléochrétienne nouvellement construite. Concomitamment, la zone péri-urbaine se déploie. Les villae situées le long de voies menant à la ville de Tarbes s’agrandissent et s’embellissent. Le Bas-Empire est à l’origine du bourg épiscopal du XIe siècle et de l’actuelle ville de Tarbes.

The fifth century in Northern Gaul is traditionally characterised by barbarian invasions, conflict, abandonment, and large migrations. However, there is little material evidence that can inform us on the identity, origin, and activities of local communities. This paper addresses the role of archaeological practice in obscuring the Late Roman fifth century. First, the state of research for the Late Roman period in the region of Flanders (Belgium) is presented to illustrate issues concerning identification, chronology, and interpretation of the material record in Northern Gaul. Second, the impact of theory and narratives on the collection of archaeological data is briefly reviewed, followed by an examination of the influence of classification, periodisation, and time perception on archaeological practice and their role in the persistence of current biases. Finally, some considerations are offered for new approaches to identify and interpret the material record from the Late Roman fifth century.

Having noted that the translation of the sentence 12, chapter 31, book
7 of Orosius's History Against the Pagans in the French Les Belles
Lettres edition is plagued by errors, the author gives his own
translation of the excerpt, both in English and French, along with all
the justifications based on the Latin source. A more reliable and
historically correct view of the early years of the Burgundians in
Gaul is thus given from Orosius's text: reassessing their real
military might, which was strong, and the importance of their
stranglehold inside Roman territory... very far from the incorrect
vision of just allotted peasants inside the Empire suggested by the
original translation.


Ayant noté que la traduction française de la phrase 12 du chapitre 31
du livre 7 de l'Histoire contre les païens d'Orose dans l'édition des
Belles Lettres était constellée d'erreurs, l'auteur donne sa propre
traduction du passage, en anglais et en français, ainsi que toutes les
justifications y afférentes à partir de la source latine. Une vision
plus fiable et historiquement plus juste des premières années des
Burgondes en Gaule est ainsi donnée à partir du texte d'Orose :
réévaluant leur réelle force militaire, qui était puissante et
l'importance de leur mainmise à l'intérieur du territoire romain... très
loin de la vision incorrecte de paysans juste lotis sur des terres à
l'intérieur de l'Empire suggérée par la traduction originale.