Books by Remco Bronkhorst
Corollaria Crustumina 4, 2020
This volume is the fourth in the series Corollaria Crustumina and deals with the results of the p... more This volume is the fourth in the series Corollaria Crustumina and deals with the results of the project The People and the State, Material culture, social structure, and political centralisation in Central Italy (800-450 BC). This project of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology, carried out between 2010 and 2015 in close collaboration with the Archaeological Service of Rome, deals with the changing socio-political situation at ancient Crustumerium resulting from Rome's rise to power.
The volume brings together data from the domains of geology, geoarchaeology, urban and rural settlement archaeology, funerary archaeology, material culture studies as well as osteological and isotope analyses. On the basis of these data, a relationship is established between changes in material culture on the one hand and developments in social structure and political centralisation in Central Italy on the other in the period between 850 and 450 BC.
https://www.barkhuis.nl/product_info.php?products_id=266
Conceived as a companion to the 2016 ex- hibition “Crustumerium, Death and Afterlife at the Gates... more Conceived as a companion to the 2016 ex- hibition “Crustumerium, Death and Afterlife at the Gates of Rome” in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket of Copenhagen, this book tells the multi-faceted story of an ancient Latin settlement located at only a few kilometers from Rome on the basis of years of painstaking interdisciplinary archaeological research. Following a historical and landscape archaeological introduction, the spotlight is on Crustumerium’s exceptional funerary record that is being meticulously excavated and safeguarded for the future by an international team of field archaeologists and restorers, allowing the reader an exceptional insight in the long journey from discovery in the field to showcase in the museum.
Being conceived as a companion to the 2016 exhibition “Crustumerium, Death and Afterlife at the G... more Being conceived as a companion to the 2016 exhibition “Crustumerium, Death and Afterlife at the Gates of Rome” in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket of Copenhagen, this book tells the multi-faceted story of an ancient Latin settlement located at only a few kilometers from Rome on the basis of years of painstaking interdisciplinary archaeological research. Following a historical and landscape archaeological introduction, the spotlight is on Crustumerium’s exceptional funerary record that is being meticulously excavated and safeguarded for the future by an international team of field archaeologists and restorers, allowing the reader an exceptional insight in the long journey from discovery in the field to showcase in the museum. Crustumerium was founded ca. 850 BC and subjugated to Rome shortly after 500 BC after which it was abandoned.
Papers by Remco Bronkhorst
European Journal of Archaeology, 2022
OPEN ACCESS Attema, P.A.J., Carafa, P., Jongman, W.M., Smith, C.J., Bronkhorst, A.J., Capanna, M.... more OPEN ACCESS Attema, P.A.J., Carafa, P., Jongman, W.M., Smith, C.J., Bronkhorst, A.J., Capanna, M.C., de Haas, T.C.A., van Leusen, P.M., Tol, G.W., Witcher, R.E. and Wouda, N.A. (2021) “The Roman Hinterland Project: Integrating Archaeological Field Surveys around Rome and Beyond,” European Journal of Archaeology 25(2): 238-258. doi: 10.1017/eaa.2021.51.
This article presents the background to and prospects for a new initiative in archaeological field survey and database integration. The Roman Hinterland Project combines data from the Tiber Valley Project, Roman Suburbium Project, and the Pontine Region Project into a single database, which the authors believe to be one of the most complete repositories of data for the hinterland of a major ancient metropolis, covering nearly 2000 years of history. The logic of combining these databases in the context of studying the Roman landscape is explained and illustrated with analyses that show their capacity to contribute to major debates in Roman economy, demography, and the longue durée of the human condition in a globalizing world.
TMA65, 2021
Satricum is often regarded as one of the few well-excavated pre-Roman settlements
in Latium Vetus... more Satricum is often regarded as one of the few well-excavated pre-Roman settlements
in Latium Vetus. Studies have so far primarily focused on the rather well-defined
contexts – specifically hut features, (rubbish and cooking) pits, tombs, and votive deposits
– which have been used to trace the settlement’s development from ca. 850 to 500
BC. Considerably less attention has been paid to the more ambiguous layers containing
remains of demolished and destroyed buildings, colloquially referred to as ‘destruction layers’.
Such layers are not easily associated with a particular structure and are often ignored
in discussions of issues such as spatial organisation. They do, however, testify to the continuous
process in which structures were reused, rebuilt, remodelled, and destroyed. In
this article, we build on the digital elaboration of archaeological data recovered by the
University of Groningen at Satricum between 1979 and 1991, enabling us to assess the
traces of destruction as a testament to the rapid development of this urban centre. Two
discussed destruction phenomena attest to the reuse of building debris in both small-scale
and large spatial reorganisations of the settlement.
Nieuwe Drentse Volksalmanak, 2019
The name Albert Egges van Giffen (1884-1973) is inextricably linked with the Dutch hunebedden (me... more The name Albert Egges van Giffen (1884-1973) is inextricably linked with the Dutch hunebedden (megalithic tombs). This research topic fascinated him even before he established the BiologischArchaeologisch Instituut (BAI, now the GIA, Groninger Instituut voor Archeologie, the department of Archaeology of Groningen University) in 1920, and he continued to study the hunebedden until the end of his life. Apart from hunebed G5-Heveskesklooster, discovered in 1982, there is no megalithic tomb that he didn’t investigate, restore or describe, or for which he didn’t specify the site’s layout.
In 1918 the Dutch government asked him to survey the condition of the hunebedden. A few years later his research was to result in his standard work De hunebedden in Nederland, comprising two text volumes and an atlas (1925-1927). The atlas, measuring 51 x 33 cm, contains both photos and drawings of the tombs, the latter in the form of plans with a scale of 1:50. This work turned out to be the last integral overview of the Dutch hunebedden. However, since Van Giffen documented them in 1918, the tombs have undergone numerous minor and major changes during excavations, restorations, repair work and reconstructions. Van Giffen himself was involved in many of those operations, but none, or only very few of the resultant changes were cartographically recorded.
In 2016 the Gratama Foundation subsidised a project initiated by the GIA to create a new survey of the Dutch hunebedden based on the use of 3D photography (photogrammetry), GPS and a geographical information system (GIS). In this project the hunebedden were once again recorded in 2D, including all the changes they had undergone in the preceding hundred years, and for the first time also in 3D. In our article we present a survey of the possibilities offered by the photogrammetric models – and the top views and elevation models derived from them – on the basis of a selection of the Dutch hunebedden.
The photogrammetric models are not restricted to the hunebed boulders but also include the surrounding area and its (micro)relief. The new elevation models have been linked to absolute elevations and coordinates in the Rijksdriehoekstelsel (the national system for the Netherlands) and are very accurate. Thanks to these models the remains of earthen mounds that once covered the tombs can also be successfully recorded, as we illustrate here in relation to the hunebedden D5-Zeijen and D40-Emmerveld-ZO.
The photogrammetric models have also yielded geometrically corrected top views (known as orthophotos) with a very high resolution. By combining Van Giffen’s descriptions and comparing the present situation with that of 1918 we obtain a complete overview of the changes that have taken place in the past hundred years. This we illustrate here in relation to D15-Loon, D16- Balloo, D26-Drouwenerveld, D43-Schimmeres, D45-Emmerdennen, D50-Noord-Sleen-N and D52-Diever. The new data also make it possible to study ‘twin hunebedden’ such as D3 and D4 at Midlaren and D19 and D20 at Drouwen both separately and together.
In a few cases the 3D data have led to new insights. For example, we have now been able to prove that the D1 and D2-3 capstones of D29-Buinen-Z were split from the same boulder, as Van Giffen indeed suspected. In making the Van Giffen 2.0 data available we hope that this recording of the situation in 2018 will serve as a reference work for researchers, heritage managers and the public at large.
TMA61, 2019
The term ‘hut’ carries a number of simplistic connotations that have hindered an unbiased study. ... more The term ‘hut’ carries a number of simplistic connotations that have hindered an unbiased study. Huts are generally seen as primitive, isolated and uniform; a highly subjective view largely resulting from our (modern) comparative perception of (elaborate) houses. Archaeologists tend to treat huts as isolated structures as there is often only secondary evidence for spatial relations. The traditional reconstruction of a nuclear family living in a single structure is a textbook example of this. By combining evidence from different settlements in Central Italy and incorporating ethnographic studies, a much more fluid perspective is advocated. Well-excavated huts at Satricum, Fidenae, Ficana and Cures Sabini suggest that facilities were shared and that life was not restricted to a single structure, a view that finds support in ethnographic models.
Paleo-aktueel 30, 2019
In the 1890s, the Dominican Father Peter Paul Mackey located the remains of the protohistoric set... more In the 1890s, the Dominican Father Peter Paul Mackey located the remains of the protohistoric settlement of Crustumerium, on a small hill ca. 15 km north of Rome crowned by picturesque ruins, amongst which the medieval so-called Torretta (tower) della Bufalotta. His identification was close yet incorrect. As was shown in the 1970s, Crustumerium lay some 450 m to the northwest. In this article, we delve into the remains of this torretta – which in fact was never a tower – and its surrounding surface materials which, taken together, testify to a complicated history spanning more than 2000 years.
Paleo-aktueel 29, 2018
On the 16th of July 2017, a large hole opened up in the garden of a family in the Frisian village... more On the 16th of July 2017, a large hole opened up in the garden of a family in the Frisian village of Boazum, the Netherlands. The residents soon realised that it was the result of a collapse above a previously unknown brick-lined well in an overall good state of conservation. The construction was documented by using photogrammetry, and the resulting 3D model proved valuable for a further constructional and functional analysis. The well dates from the 19th century. It probably served to cool a nearby milk-cellar of an older farm that was demolished sometime after 1881.
TMA57, 2017
Introduction by Peter Attema, Remco Bronkhorst, Nikolaas Noorda, Frans van Hoesel & Pjotr Svetachov
Paleo-aktueel, 2017
In 2014, researchers of the GIA and the archaeological service of Rome discovered that a giant mo... more In 2014, researchers of the GIA and the archaeological service of Rome discovered that a giant mound at the Latin settlement of Crustumerium near Rome (9th c. to 5th c. BCE) contained a mortuary record of 300 years. Archaeological excavations and geophysical research revealed the mound as having a complex stratigraphy and intricate spatial relationships with the surrounding settlement and burial grounds. This made the excavation team realize that the mound can only be analysed and rendered comprehensible through advanced digital techniques. To achieve a proper archaeological interpretation of the monument, the team has started to explore the potential of the data in an accurate 3D environment. This paper discusses the present status and future perspectives of the project, highlighting 1) the scientific potential and challenges of studying complex archaeological features in a 3D environment and 2) the translation of such work into an appealing while scientifically valid model for public outreach.
Satricum Hut VI: a 3-D perspective on a paper archive.
In 1983 the remains of a rectangular sunk... more Satricum Hut VI: a 3-D perspective on a paper archive.
In 1983 the remains of a rectangular sunken- floored hut (Hut VI) were discovered in the Latial town of Satricum (Central Italy). The context, a fill of pieces of burnt daub, pebbles, pottery and chunks of tuff, had been carefully documented as the hut was excavated in small stratigraphic units. Although Hut VI was already published in 1992, the analytical techniques then available did not allow a full study of the hut. By fitting together all excavation data, the 3-D distribution of finds was reanalysed. It is argued that Hut VI was filled in soon after its abandonment. Its function remains unclear, since hardly any finds could be attributed to the use phase of the hut. Yet, once again, the usefulness of older data turns out to be greater than one might have expected.
TMA53, 2015
Archaeological field surveys from the 1970’s suggested that there was a considerable increase in ... more Archaeological field surveys from the 1970’s suggested that there was a considerable increase in the number of sites in the territories of Latin settlements such as Crustumerium, Fidenae, Ficulea and Collatia during the Orientalising and Archaic period (seventh and sixth century BC). As a consequence, there was a subsequent period of decreasing exploitation of the countryside from the end of the Early-Republican period onwards, when these territories fell under the influence of Rome. Although the data from the 1970’s surveys is both extensive and valuable, more recent data from the 1990’s surveys demonstrate that this model can no longer be retained. Moreover, the increased establishment of settlements during the Archaic period (the “Archaic boom”) was much less intense than previously thought. A critical reassessment of the dating evidence from all survey data necessitated the reconsideration of the chronological developments in the areas to the north-east of Rome in these periods. Instead of a period of growth followed by a period of decline, the data indicates a continuously increasing exploitation of the countryside from the Orientalising period until the Imperial period. In light of their analysis the authors emphasize the value of legacy data, but also stress the importance of a critical evaluation of the compatibility and quality of the source material.
TMA53 (Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie), 2015
Between legacy and legacy data: the heritage of a lost landscape around Crustumerium (North-Latiu... more Between legacy and legacy data: the heritage of a lost landscape around Crustumerium (North-Latium, Italy)
Archaeological field surveys from the 1970’s suggested that there was a considerable increase in the number of sites in the territories of Latin settlements such as Crustumerium, Fidenae, Ficulea and Collatia during the Orientalising and Archaic period (seventh and sixth century BC). As a consequence, there was a subsequent period of decreasing exploitation of the countryside from the end of the Early-Republican period onwards, when these territories fell under the influence of Rome. Although the data from the 1970’s surveys is both extensive and valuable, more recent data from the 1990’s surveys demonstrate that this model can no longer be retained. Moreover, the increased establishment of settlements during the Archaic period (the “Archaic boom”) was much less intense than previously thought. A critical reassessment of the dating evidence from all survey data necessitated the reconsideration of the chronological developments in the areas to the north-east of Rome in these periods. Instead of a period of growth followed by a period of decline, the data indicates a continuously increasing exploitation of the countryside from the Orientalising period until the Imperial period. In light of their analysis the authors emphasize the value of legacy data, but also stress the importance of a critical evaluation of the compatibility and quality of the source material.
A kaleidoscope of maritime perspectives. Essays on the archaeology, art history and landscape history of the maritime world view, 2013
Reviews by Remco Bronkhorst
TMA70, 2024
Het Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie is een onafhankelijk tijdschrift dat aandacht bestee... more Het Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie is een onafhankelijk tijdschrift dat aandacht besteedt aan actueel archeologisch onderzoek in de mediterrane wereld, in het bijzonder verricht vanuit Nederland en België en door Nederlandstalige onderzoekers in het buitenland. TMA is een Diamond Open Access tijdschrift en werkt met single blind peer review. Bijdragen worden gepubliceerd onder de CC-licentie CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, tenzij anders aangegeven. TMA verschijnt twee keer per jaar. Abonneren kan schriftelijk of via onze website. Een abonnement kost €20,-. Studenten betalen €15,-(onder vermelding van studentnummer). Het abonnement loopt van 1 januari tot en met 31 december en wordt automatisch verlengd, tenzij een maand van tevoren schriftelijk is opgezegd.
TMA65, 2021
Het Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie is een onafhankelijk tijdschrift dat aandacht bestee... more Het Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie is een onafhankelijk tijdschrift dat aandacht besteedt aan actueel archeologisch onderzoek in de mediterrane wereld, in het bijzonder verricht vanuit Nederland en België. Bijdragen van lezers kunnen al dan niet verkort door de redactie worden geplaatst. TMA verschijnt twee keer per jaar. Opgave kan schriftelijk of via onze website. Een abonnement kost €20,-. Studenten betalen €15,-(onder vermelding van studentnummer). Het abonnement loopt van 1 januari tot en met 31 december en wordt automatisch verlengd, tenzij een maand van tevoren schriftelijk is opgezegd.
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Books by Remco Bronkhorst
The volume brings together data from the domains of geology, geoarchaeology, urban and rural settlement archaeology, funerary archaeology, material culture studies as well as osteological and isotope analyses. On the basis of these data, a relationship is established between changes in material culture on the one hand and developments in social structure and political centralisation in Central Italy on the other in the period between 850 and 450 BC.
https://www.barkhuis.nl/product_info.php?products_id=266
Papers by Remco Bronkhorst
This article presents the background to and prospects for a new initiative in archaeological field survey and database integration. The Roman Hinterland Project combines data from the Tiber Valley Project, Roman Suburbium Project, and the Pontine Region Project into a single database, which the authors believe to be one of the most complete repositories of data for the hinterland of a major ancient metropolis, covering nearly 2000 years of history. The logic of combining these databases in the context of studying the Roman landscape is explained and illustrated with analyses that show their capacity to contribute to major debates in Roman economy, demography, and the longue durée of the human condition in a globalizing world.
in Latium Vetus. Studies have so far primarily focused on the rather well-defined
contexts – specifically hut features, (rubbish and cooking) pits, tombs, and votive deposits
– which have been used to trace the settlement’s development from ca. 850 to 500
BC. Considerably less attention has been paid to the more ambiguous layers containing
remains of demolished and destroyed buildings, colloquially referred to as ‘destruction layers’.
Such layers are not easily associated with a particular structure and are often ignored
in discussions of issues such as spatial organisation. They do, however, testify to the continuous
process in which structures were reused, rebuilt, remodelled, and destroyed. In
this article, we build on the digital elaboration of archaeological data recovered by the
University of Groningen at Satricum between 1979 and 1991, enabling us to assess the
traces of destruction as a testament to the rapid development of this urban centre. Two
discussed destruction phenomena attest to the reuse of building debris in both small-scale
and large spatial reorganisations of the settlement.
In 1918 the Dutch government asked him to survey the condition of the hunebedden. A few years later his research was to result in his standard work De hunebedden in Nederland, comprising two text volumes and an atlas (1925-1927). The atlas, measuring 51 x 33 cm, contains both photos and drawings of the tombs, the latter in the form of plans with a scale of 1:50. This work turned out to be the last integral overview of the Dutch hunebedden. However, since Van Giffen documented them in 1918, the tombs have undergone numerous minor and major changes during excavations, restorations, repair work and reconstructions. Van Giffen himself was involved in many of those operations, but none, or only very few of the resultant changes were cartographically recorded.
In 2016 the Gratama Foundation subsidised a project initiated by the GIA to create a new survey of the Dutch hunebedden based on the use of 3D photography (photogrammetry), GPS and a geographical information system (GIS). In this project the hunebedden were once again recorded in 2D, including all the changes they had undergone in the preceding hundred years, and for the first time also in 3D. In our article we present a survey of the possibilities offered by the photogrammetric models – and the top views and elevation models derived from them – on the basis of a selection of the Dutch hunebedden.
The photogrammetric models are not restricted to the hunebed boulders but also include the surrounding area and its (micro)relief. The new elevation models have been linked to absolute elevations and coordinates in the Rijksdriehoekstelsel (the national system for the Netherlands) and are very accurate. Thanks to these models the remains of earthen mounds that once covered the tombs can also be successfully recorded, as we illustrate here in relation to the hunebedden D5-Zeijen and D40-Emmerveld-ZO.
The photogrammetric models have also yielded geometrically corrected top views (known as orthophotos) with a very high resolution. By combining Van Giffen’s descriptions and comparing the present situation with that of 1918 we obtain a complete overview of the changes that have taken place in the past hundred years. This we illustrate here in relation to D15-Loon, D16- Balloo, D26-Drouwenerveld, D43-Schimmeres, D45-Emmerdennen, D50-Noord-Sleen-N and D52-Diever. The new data also make it possible to study ‘twin hunebedden’ such as D3 and D4 at Midlaren and D19 and D20 at Drouwen both separately and together.
In a few cases the 3D data have led to new insights. For example, we have now been able to prove that the D1 and D2-3 capstones of D29-Buinen-Z were split from the same boulder, as Van Giffen indeed suspected. In making the Van Giffen 2.0 data available we hope that this recording of the situation in 2018 will serve as a reference work for researchers, heritage managers and the public at large.
In 1983 the remains of a rectangular sunken- floored hut (Hut VI) were discovered in the Latial town of Satricum (Central Italy). The context, a fill of pieces of burnt daub, pebbles, pottery and chunks of tuff, had been carefully documented as the hut was excavated in small stratigraphic units. Although Hut VI was already published in 1992, the analytical techniques then available did not allow a full study of the hut. By fitting together all excavation data, the 3-D distribution of finds was reanalysed. It is argued that Hut VI was filled in soon after its abandonment. Its function remains unclear, since hardly any finds could be attributed to the use phase of the hut. Yet, once again, the usefulness of older data turns out to be greater than one might have expected.
Archaeological field surveys from the 1970’s suggested that there was a considerable increase in the number of sites in the territories of Latin settlements such as Crustumerium, Fidenae, Ficulea and Collatia during the Orientalising and Archaic period (seventh and sixth century BC). As a consequence, there was a subsequent period of decreasing exploitation of the countryside from the end of the Early-Republican period onwards, when these territories fell under the influence of Rome. Although the data from the 1970’s surveys is both extensive and valuable, more recent data from the 1990’s surveys demonstrate that this model can no longer be retained. Moreover, the increased establishment of settlements during the Archaic period (the “Archaic boom”) was much less intense than previously thought. A critical reassessment of the dating evidence from all survey data necessitated the reconsideration of the chronological developments in the areas to the north-east of Rome in these periods. Instead of a period of growth followed by a period of decline, the data indicates a continuously increasing exploitation of the countryside from the Orientalising period until the Imperial period. In light of their analysis the authors emphasize the value of legacy data, but also stress the importance of a critical evaluation of the compatibility and quality of the source material.
Reviews by Remco Bronkhorst
The volume brings together data from the domains of geology, geoarchaeology, urban and rural settlement archaeology, funerary archaeology, material culture studies as well as osteological and isotope analyses. On the basis of these data, a relationship is established between changes in material culture on the one hand and developments in social structure and political centralisation in Central Italy on the other in the period between 850 and 450 BC.
https://www.barkhuis.nl/product_info.php?products_id=266
This article presents the background to and prospects for a new initiative in archaeological field survey and database integration. The Roman Hinterland Project combines data from the Tiber Valley Project, Roman Suburbium Project, and the Pontine Region Project into a single database, which the authors believe to be one of the most complete repositories of data for the hinterland of a major ancient metropolis, covering nearly 2000 years of history. The logic of combining these databases in the context of studying the Roman landscape is explained and illustrated with analyses that show their capacity to contribute to major debates in Roman economy, demography, and the longue durée of the human condition in a globalizing world.
in Latium Vetus. Studies have so far primarily focused on the rather well-defined
contexts – specifically hut features, (rubbish and cooking) pits, tombs, and votive deposits
– which have been used to trace the settlement’s development from ca. 850 to 500
BC. Considerably less attention has been paid to the more ambiguous layers containing
remains of demolished and destroyed buildings, colloquially referred to as ‘destruction layers’.
Such layers are not easily associated with a particular structure and are often ignored
in discussions of issues such as spatial organisation. They do, however, testify to the continuous
process in which structures were reused, rebuilt, remodelled, and destroyed. In
this article, we build on the digital elaboration of archaeological data recovered by the
University of Groningen at Satricum between 1979 and 1991, enabling us to assess the
traces of destruction as a testament to the rapid development of this urban centre. Two
discussed destruction phenomena attest to the reuse of building debris in both small-scale
and large spatial reorganisations of the settlement.
In 1918 the Dutch government asked him to survey the condition of the hunebedden. A few years later his research was to result in his standard work De hunebedden in Nederland, comprising two text volumes and an atlas (1925-1927). The atlas, measuring 51 x 33 cm, contains both photos and drawings of the tombs, the latter in the form of plans with a scale of 1:50. This work turned out to be the last integral overview of the Dutch hunebedden. However, since Van Giffen documented them in 1918, the tombs have undergone numerous minor and major changes during excavations, restorations, repair work and reconstructions. Van Giffen himself was involved in many of those operations, but none, or only very few of the resultant changes were cartographically recorded.
In 2016 the Gratama Foundation subsidised a project initiated by the GIA to create a new survey of the Dutch hunebedden based on the use of 3D photography (photogrammetry), GPS and a geographical information system (GIS). In this project the hunebedden were once again recorded in 2D, including all the changes they had undergone in the preceding hundred years, and for the first time also in 3D. In our article we present a survey of the possibilities offered by the photogrammetric models – and the top views and elevation models derived from them – on the basis of a selection of the Dutch hunebedden.
The photogrammetric models are not restricted to the hunebed boulders but also include the surrounding area and its (micro)relief. The new elevation models have been linked to absolute elevations and coordinates in the Rijksdriehoekstelsel (the national system for the Netherlands) and are very accurate. Thanks to these models the remains of earthen mounds that once covered the tombs can also be successfully recorded, as we illustrate here in relation to the hunebedden D5-Zeijen and D40-Emmerveld-ZO.
The photogrammetric models have also yielded geometrically corrected top views (known as orthophotos) with a very high resolution. By combining Van Giffen’s descriptions and comparing the present situation with that of 1918 we obtain a complete overview of the changes that have taken place in the past hundred years. This we illustrate here in relation to D15-Loon, D16- Balloo, D26-Drouwenerveld, D43-Schimmeres, D45-Emmerdennen, D50-Noord-Sleen-N and D52-Diever. The new data also make it possible to study ‘twin hunebedden’ such as D3 and D4 at Midlaren and D19 and D20 at Drouwen both separately and together.
In a few cases the 3D data have led to new insights. For example, we have now been able to prove that the D1 and D2-3 capstones of D29-Buinen-Z were split from the same boulder, as Van Giffen indeed suspected. In making the Van Giffen 2.0 data available we hope that this recording of the situation in 2018 will serve as a reference work for researchers, heritage managers and the public at large.
In 1983 the remains of a rectangular sunken- floored hut (Hut VI) were discovered in the Latial town of Satricum (Central Italy). The context, a fill of pieces of burnt daub, pebbles, pottery and chunks of tuff, had been carefully documented as the hut was excavated in small stratigraphic units. Although Hut VI was already published in 1992, the analytical techniques then available did not allow a full study of the hut. By fitting together all excavation data, the 3-D distribution of finds was reanalysed. It is argued that Hut VI was filled in soon after its abandonment. Its function remains unclear, since hardly any finds could be attributed to the use phase of the hut. Yet, once again, the usefulness of older data turns out to be greater than one might have expected.
Archaeological field surveys from the 1970’s suggested that there was a considerable increase in the number of sites in the territories of Latin settlements such as Crustumerium, Fidenae, Ficulea and Collatia during the Orientalising and Archaic period (seventh and sixth century BC). As a consequence, there was a subsequent period of decreasing exploitation of the countryside from the end of the Early-Republican period onwards, when these territories fell under the influence of Rome. Although the data from the 1970’s surveys is both extensive and valuable, more recent data from the 1990’s surveys demonstrate that this model can no longer be retained. Moreover, the increased establishment of settlements during the Archaic period (the “Archaic boom”) was much less intense than previously thought. A critical reassessment of the dating evidence from all survey data necessitated the reconsideration of the chronological developments in the areas to the north-east of Rome in these periods. Instead of a period of growth followed by a period of decline, the data indicates a continuously increasing exploitation of the countryside from the Orientalising period until the Imperial period. In light of their analysis the authors emphasize the value of legacy data, but also stress the importance of a critical evaluation of the compatibility and quality of the source material.
Crustumerium figured prominently in many of the events related to Rome’s earliest history. Around 500 BC, the city was taken by Rome, abandoned and largely forgotten until its location was rediscovered in the 1970s.
Even after some 2500 years, a man-made mound on the border between the settlement and its burial grounds stands out in the landscape. Excavations by the University of Groningen and the Italian Archaeological Service reveal that it holds the key to the story of the rise and fall of Crustumerium. The excavation team realised that the mound can only be analysed and rendered comprehensible through advanced digital techniques. To achieve a proper archaeological interpretation of the monument, the team has started to explore the potential of the data in an accurate 3D environment.
Production and distribution form the foundation of any economy, both today and in antiquity. Both required involvement of a large part of the population – from slaves to free men and women. Crops were grown (wheat), raw materials were mined (stone, metals), collected (wool), or otherwise obtained (salt, purple dye murices). The raw materials were processed into food (bread, wine, olive oil), semifinished products (brick, linen), household goods (clothing, earthenware) and buildings. From basic necessities to luxury goods: the second issue of our 33rd year of publication is dedicated to the artisans and the workers of the ancient world and to the way in which they produced and distributed goods.
We welcome contributions ranging from case studies to theoretical approaches related to the archaeology of the Mediterranean world in its broadest sense. Research with a historical or epigraphic approach can also be admitted.
TMA's 60th issue marks our 30th anniversary. In the past decades, Mediterranean archaeology has changed considerably in the Dutch-speaking academic world. We highlight some of these changes, relating to the magazine as well as to the discipline.
We welcome contributions ranging from case studies to theoretical approaches on mortuary archaeology in the Mediterranean world. Research with a historical or epigraphic standpoint can also be admitted.
Dutch and Belgian archaeologists started fieldwork in the Mediterranean almost a century after Caspar Reuvens became the first archaeology professor and active excavator in the Netherlands. Carl Vollgraff worked in Greece (Argos, Thessaly) from 1902 onwards and in 1905 Jean Capart initiated excavations in Egypt (Sakkara). Only decades later did Mediterranean fieldwork become part of the academic curriculum. By the 1960's, the field had developed from a few courses on Classical Art into an independent academic discipline, with a dozen university chairs of Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology all over the Low Countries.
How did Mediterranean Archaeology develop as an academic discipline in the Netherlands and Belgium? Who were the key players, where did they work, what did they investigate? What
were the most important intellectual and methodological currents? How was the archaeology of the Mediterranean related to other disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences? What were the similarities and differences in approach and narrative between the Low Countries and their neighbours? What were the differences in research focus and approaches between the Netherlands and Belgium?
This English-language symposium intends to bring together research on the history of Mediterranean Archaeology as practiced in the Low Countries in the 19th and 20th centuries.
There is a limited number of seats, please reserve your place at symposium@mediterrane-archeologie.nl!
No city without public works. In order to create a functioning and thriving city, its people will inevitably need to invest in communal architectural projects such as infrastructure, open facilities, public spaces and public buildings. However, such buildings did not solely have a utilitarian function. From aqueduct to amphitheatre and from park to public toilet: public works play an important social, political and economic role. At the same time their architecture offers a place for elites to showcase their wealth and power through ostentation.
This symposium explores the variety of functions public works have had and the diverse roles they have played within ancient Mediterranean societies. In addition, to bridge past and present, we want to reflect on how these public works of the past continue to play important roles in present-day societies.