The impact of Roman imperialism in the West

The project “The impact of Roman imperialism in the West: settlement dynamics and rural organization in Iron Age and Roman Portugal” is a landscape archaeological and ancient historical study of the westernmost area that was conquered by ancient Rome and incorporated into the Roman empire (c. 3rd-1st centuries BCE). Using a combination of new archaeological field work and digital geospatial technologies, as well as a study of previous archaeological and historiographical work, the project aims to generate new understandings of the Roman archaeology of the western Mediterranean.

Starting new collaborations between various Portuguese and other international partners for new field work, as well as building on the datasets and structures collected previously for the Italian peninsula, the project aims to move the study of Roman Portugal into the centre of the international debate on Roman imperialism in the Western and Central Mediterranean.

Particular attention is given to data collected in rural landscapes of the Italian and Iberian peninsulas that were conquered by Rome between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE. Spatial comparative pattern analysis of these data, on a supranational scale, allows for a better understanding of the impact of the early strategies adopted by Rome to conquer new territories on her way to domination of the entire Central and Western Mediterranean world, from the Italian Peninsula to its Atlantic Portuguese fringes.

The collection and calibration of Mediterranean field survey data not only aid academic research in landscape archaeology, but also cultural heritage management in spatial planning. The digital repository of landscape archaeological data is open access and an important tool for public use. Other societal outreach activities are planned together with our international partner institutions and local authorities.

• Duration: 2018 – 2027
• Staff and contacts: Tesse D. Stek t.d.stek knir.it ; Anita Casarotto a.casarotto rug.nl
• Funding: Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds – Regato Fund
• Organisation: University of Groningen - Faculty of Arts - Groningen Institute of Archaeology - Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology; Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR)
• Partners: University of Évora; NOVA University of Lisbon; Museu da Guarda, Município da Guarda; International Association for Classical Archaeology (AIAC).

This project welcomes the participation of partners, students and scholars. If you are interested to be part of our project please get in contact with us.