Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CLaRMaV (Coastal Landscapes and Roman Maritime Villas: A Comparative Regional Study of Architectural Models and Environmental Settings)
Período documentado: 2023-11-01 hasta 2025-10-31
The CLaRMaV project addresses a critical gap in understanding Roman maritime villas across Mediterranean provinces during the Roman period (1st century BC - 5th century AD). While Italian examples are well-studied, provincial maritime villas remain poorly documented, limiting our comprehension of architectural transfer, environmental adaptation, and economic networks across the Roman Empire.
The project systematically documents and analyses 48 maritime villas supported by a sufficient documentation (including plans) across nine Mediterranean provinces (Croatia, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Malta, North Africa, and the Levant), examining three core objectives: (1) identifying architectural models and their regional variations, (2) assessing environmental impacts and natural resource exploitation, particularly water management, and (3) determining economic roles through production activities.
By creating an integrated database combining literary sources, GIS mapping, architectural analysis, and field documentation, the project reveals how Roman domestic architecture adapted to diverse Mediterranean landscapes while maintaining cultural continuity. The research demonstrates that provincial villas served primarily productive functions—including fish farming, olive oil production, and maritime commerce—contrasting with the leisure-focused Italian counterparts.
Expected impacts encompass the advancement of interdisciplinary archaeological methodologies through the integration of digital humanities, fostering innovative approaches to heritage analysis. The project aims to inform, where feasible, coastal heritage management strategies for at-risk sites, thereby contributing valuable insights to the preservation of endangered cultural landscapes. Additionally, it seeks to enrich broader scholarly discussions on cultural transmission and environmental sustainability within ancient societies, offering new perspectives grounded in empirical research.
Furthermore, the initiative will bolster European research capacity in classical archaeology by fostering international collaborative networks that extend across Mediterranean research institutions and beyond. This collaborative framework not only enhances knowledge exchange but also positions the researcher for a permanent academic appointment in Italy, supporting long-term institutional development and academic excellence in the field.
The project systematically documents and analyses 48 maritime villas supported by a sufficient documentation (including plans) across nine Mediterranean provinces (Croatia, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Malta, North Africa, and the Levant), examining three core objectives: (1) identifying architectural models and their regional variations, (2) assessing environmental impacts and natural resource exploitation, particularly water management, and (3) determining economic roles through production activities.
By creating an integrated database combining literary sources, GIS mapping, architectural analysis, and field documentation, the project reveals how Roman domestic architecture adapted to diverse Mediterranean landscapes while maintaining cultural continuity. The research demonstrates that provincial villas served primarily productive functions—including fish farming, olive oil production, and maritime commerce—contrasting with the leisure-focused Italian counterparts.
Expected impacts encompass the advancement of interdisciplinary archaeological methodologies through the integration of digital humanities, fostering innovative approaches to heritage analysis. The project aims to inform, where feasible, coastal heritage management strategies for at-risk sites, thereby contributing valuable insights to the preservation of endangered cultural landscapes. Additionally, it seeks to enrich broader scholarly discussions on cultural transmission and environmental sustainability within ancient societies, offering new perspectives grounded in empirical research.
Furthermore, the initiative will bolster European research capacity in classical archaeology by fostering international collaborative networks that extend across Mediterranean research institutions and beyond. This collaborative framework not only enhances knowledge exchange but also positions the researcher for a permanent academic appointment in Italy, supporting long-term institutional development and academic excellence in the field.
During the project, extensive technical and scientific activities were performed, leading to significant achievements. Key activities included comprehensive literature reviews and archaeological analyses of Roman maritime villas across Mediterranean provinces, resulting in a detailed database, GIS mapping, graphics documentation. Architectural typologies and regional patterns were identified through field trips, architectural drawings, and comparative analysis, culminating in scholarly publications and conference presentations.
Environmental studies involved resource use assessments, water management analysis, and landscape impact evaluations, supported by GIS data and field measurements. Economic investigations documented production activities, such as fishponds, olive oil, wine, and salt industries, with preliminary capacity and labor analyses.
Overall, the work is contributing to understanding of villa architecture, environmental impact, and economic functions, producing peer-reviewed articles, an edited volume, a monograph and digital tools, establishing a solid scientific foundation for further research.
Environmental studies involved resource use assessments, water management analysis, and landscape impact evaluations, supported by GIS data and field measurements. Economic investigations documented production activities, such as fishponds, olive oil, wine, and salt industries, with preliminary capacity and labor analyses.
Overall, the work is contributing to understanding of villa architecture, environmental impact, and economic functions, producing peer-reviewed articles, an edited volume, a monograph and digital tools, establishing a solid scientific foundation for further research.
The CLaRMaV project has yielded significant advancements in the understanding of Roman maritime villas across the Mediterranean, pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge in architecture, environmental interactions, and economic functions of these structures. Key results include the development of a comprehensive typological framework for maritime villa architecture, the creation of an extensive geospatial database linking architectural and environmental data, and new insights into the socio-economic roles of these villas within their landscapes.
These results provide new insights into villa diversity, environmental impact, and local economies in the Mediterranean, establishing a robust foundation for future research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and potential applications in heritage management and conservation.
These results provide new insights into villa diversity, environmental impact, and local economies in the Mediterranean, establishing a robust foundation for future research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and potential applications in heritage management and conservation.