Gareth Sears

The Fate Of The Temples In North Africa

This paper examines the changes to temples during Late Antiquity in North Africa, using archaeological evidence, supported by epigraphic and literary material where relevant. It examines the problems of the archaeology and in particular the dating for the transformation of pagan religious sites to Christian use. The paper considers the evidence for the maintenance of the pagan heritage into the mid-4th c., and the attempts to protect the temples in the guise of aesthetic preservation and antiquarianism. It proposes that it is only with the Byzantine conquest in the 6th c. that widespread destruction of temples took place, for the incorporation of their masonry into fortifications, or for the conversion of their remains into Christian churches.

Visualising Space and Movement: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Palace of Diocletian, Split

The Palace of Diocletian, now the old town of Split, is one of the most important structures for the study of late Roman palaces, imperial ceremonial and urban change in late antiquity. At the heart of this palatial complex is the Mausoleum of Diocletian/Split Cathedral; a transformation which neatly encapsulates the transition from imperial residence to late antique and medieval town. Emerging from work undertaken by the Central Dalmatian Archaeological Project in 2009, this chapter will demonstrate how 3D spatial models can be integrated with subsurface exploration technologies in order to better understand the relationships between standing and subsurface remains at Split through the production of a 3D model. It will then use the integrated results from the 3D laser scanning of the Mausoleum and its surroundings and GPR in the Peristyle of the Palace to make suggestions about the nature of that space and how it might have changed over time.

The City in the Roman West, c.250 BC–c.AD 250: The Roman city in c . AD 250: an urban legacy of empire?

The city is widely regarded as the most characteristic expression of the social, cultural and economic formations of the Roman Empire. This was especially true in the Latin-speaking West, where urbanism was much less deeply ingrained than in the Greek-speaking East but where networks of cities grew up during the centuries following conquest and occupation. This up-to-date and well-illustrated synthesis provides students and specialists alike with an overview of the development of the city in Italy, Gaul, Britain, Germany, Spain and North Africa, whether their interests lie in ancient history, Roman archaeology or the wider history of urbanism. It accounts not only for the city’s geographical and temporal spread and its associated monuments (such as amphitheatres and baths), but also for its importance to the rulers of the Empire as well as the provincials and locals.

The City in the Roman West, c.250 BC–c.AD 250: Defining a new town: walls, streets and temples

Introduction 1. The creation of an urban culture 2. Colonisation and the development of Roman urbanism 3. City foundation, government and urbanism 4. The reception of Roman urbanism in the West 5. Town planning, competition and the aesthetics of urbanism 6. Defining a new town: walls, streets and temples 7. Assembling the city: forum and basilica 8. Assembling the city: baths and urban life 9. Assembling the city: theatres and sacred space 10. Assembling the city: amphitheatres 11. The Roman city in c.AD 250: an urban legacy of Empire? Bibliography Index.