Project description
Roman maritime villa architecture and its environmental impact
Maritime villas play a crucial role in our understanding of ancient urbanisation and the dynamic relationship between humans and the environment. The threats posed by coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and human activities have brought these villas to the forefront of environmental research. Currently a gap exists in research regarding architectural regional comparisons of maritime villas and their influence on local environments. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CLaRMaV project focuses on the study of Roman maritime villas in the Mediterranean Basin between the 2nd century BC and the 6th century AD. It will investigate architectural models, trends, spatial functions, and the villas’ contributions to the local economy. CLaRMaV will explore how domestic structures utilise natural resources, employing GIS and 3D reconstructions for data collection.
Objective
Coastal heritage is increasingly at risk from both natural and man-made factors, and is therefore crucial to document it before it disappears. Maritime villas, a common feature of the Roman Mediterranean, are very important for understanding the development of ancient urbanisation and architectural forms, the interaction between humans and the environment, and the use of natural resources. Yet, an overall study looking at the architecture of Roman maritime villas in the Mediterranean regions and how they impacted on, and were shaped by, their local environments is lacking. CLaRMaV will investigate the typology of Roman maritime villas across the Mediterranean Basin (2nd century BC-6th century AD). It will do so by studying the architectural models adopted and developed in the various regions; the prevailing trends over time; the use of individual architectural spaces; and the role of these villas in the local economy. The project will focus on the dialogue between domestic architecture and the environment and look at the use of available natural resources. Special attention will be given to water usage and to whether any water-saving measures were put in place to address its scarcity in some regions. This project, with its multidisciplinary nature, will contribute to the knowledge of the architectural, environmental, and socio-economic histories of the Roman Empire. By incorporating in its methodology the use of GIS and 3-D reconstructions, the resulting outputs will be of use to archaeological sites and museums, both in managing the sites and in offering educational resources to visitors. The coastal environments occupied by ancient maritime villas are seriously impacted by coastal erosion, rising sea levels due to climate change, and anthropic actions. Therefore, it is vital to systematically record and study these structures. The data generated by the project will be useful to local authorities in charge of preservation of coastal heritage and urban planning.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinator
40126 Bologna
Italy