Baths’ Architecture in Late Antique Sicily: Natural Resources and Economic Sustainability

Projektbeschreibung

Als die Bäder der Antike kalt wurden

Römische öffentliche Bäder waren mehr als nur Orte zum Waschen. Sie waren lebendige soziale Zentren, in denen sich die Menschen trafen. Doch in der Spätantike begann das geschäftige Treiben in diesen Bädern zu verschwinden. Während viele dies auf veränderte Glaubensvorstellungen und den Aufstieg des Christentums zurückführen, wirft das Team des Projekts BALNEa einen neuen Blick darauf. Im Rahmen des innerhalb der Marie-Skłodowska-Curie-Maßnahmen unterstützten Projekts werden die ökologischen und wirtschaftlichen Belastungen untersucht, die den Erhalt dieser Bäder erschwerten. Das Projektteam nutzt die antiken Badehäuser Siziliens als Fenster in die Vergangenheit und verbindet Archäologie mit 3D-Technologie, um diese Räume digital nachzubilden. Anhand der Messung des Energie- und Ressourcenbedarfs zeigt das BALNEa-Team, wie Gesellschaften der Antike lange vor unserer Zeit ein Gleichgewicht zwischen Luxus und Nachhaltigkeit fanden.

Ziel

The project will be hosted by the University of Bologna's Department of History and Cultures, supervised by Prof. Isabella Baldini, a leading scholar in Late Antique archaeology. It aims to investigate the decline of Roman public baths (balnea, in Latin). Baths held a crucial role in fostering sociability, being accessible to all social classes, thus becoming integral components of urban landscapes. While their decline during Late Antiquity is often attributed to cultural shifts tied to the rise of Christianity, my research aims to uncover environmental and economic factors that contributed to this decline. My study will chiefly concentrate on spatial volume of the thermal bath’s rooms, the energy consumption required for their heating, and the production cycle for procuring fuel materials within specific ecological settings. I’ve chosen Sicily as a case study due to the context comparable with other Mediterranean regions and the wealth of thermal complexes unearthed, a suitable number within the 3-year MSCA-PF. Methodologically, the research will first rely on the available scientific literature on the topic. Subsequently, drawing upon my background as an architect, I will delve into the technical and stylistic aspects of energy-efficient practices in designing ancient buildings, utilizing technologies such as surveying, 3D reconstruction, and simulations. The archaeological remains will be analysed through the creation of digital models to reconstruct their structural characteristics and operational system performance. To acquire the latest survey and 3D reconstruction technologies, I will conduct the Outgoing phase at the ‘Institute for Digital Exploration’ at the University of South Florida, directed by Prof. Davide Tanasi. Additionally, during a Secondment at the University of Catania’s ‘Energy Sustainability & Environmental Control Laboratory’, guided by Prof. Francesco Nocera, I will assess energy efficiency and economic sustainability in ancient buildings.