Busch, Alexandra W.
Urbanitas – urbane Qualitäten: Die antike Stadt als kulturelle Selbstverwirklichung
The sheer unimaginable number of ancient towns allows no doubt about where life in the Classical world pulsated. What exactly the huge attraction of the towns comprised, however, can only be guessed at in the wake of the few comments in the literary sources: Apart from the varied entertainments on offer which the towns could provide, there is always mention of sophistication, whether in the social network or in the design of the material world. But how do such facets of urban culture also reveal themselves archaeologically? The conference proceedings address the question of ancient urbanitas exemplarily from various directions: On the one hand attention is placed on all those architecturally distinguishable installations which allow the recognition of a refined life beyond the economic criteria of utility. On the other hand it is highlighted with which methods towns procured a distinct self-consciousness, which testifies to pride, the desire for prestige and an enduring sense of togetherness. Finally, it also concerns the very simple question of what in the eyes of ancient people makes the town a town. Which urban qualities have to be achieved, so that a local community could claim to be on a par with other towns? The papers collated here, which deal not only with the large centres, but also with towns of various sizes up to the periphery of the Mediterranean world during the time-span of the 7th century B.C. until Late Antiquity, provide different answers. Certainly, there are recognizable patterns and obligatory ideas of standards, but to no lesser extent idiosyncratic solutions and special paths, thanks to which the towns could create a particular image.
Translation: C. Bridger
Die spätantiken Gürtel mit kerbschnittverzierten Metallbeschlägen: Studien zu Militärgürteln des 4.-5. Jahrhunderts
Notched belt fittings served as representative and symbolic late Roman military belts; they were specially designed in Gaul for elite troops of the field army, remained in modified form until the first third of the 5th century and can be found above all at military sites and along the imperial border. Due to troop movements and the mobility of army units, the "notched belts" spread to many regions of the Western Roman Empire. Veterans brought them back to their respective home towns. Thanks to their planned design and controlled change, notched belts provide information about the structure and effectiveness of the Late Antique army up to the middle of the 5th century.
Zwischen Machtzentren und Produktionsorten: Wirtschaftsaspekte von der römischen Epoche bis in das Hochmittelalter am Rhein und in seinen Nachbarregionen
On 12 November 2018, a cooperation agreement was signed in Ingelheim am Rhein between the Kaiserpfalz Research Centre based there and the Roman-Germanic Central Museum, Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology. With this agreement, the close ties that have existed since the middle of the 19th century between the scientists in Mainz and the researchers of the Imperial Palace in Ingelheim were confirmed in writing. The future cooperation will focus particularly on European economic aspects and topics of supra-regional materials research. The first fruits of this cooperation were presented at interdisciplinary conferences on 12 and 13 November 2018 in Ingelheim and on 28 and 29 November 2019 in Mayen. These events also served as an intensive exchange with scientists from Germany and abroad. The results of both conferences are brought together in this conference volume. In 25 papers, the fundamentals of trade in the Rhineland and its neighbouring regions as well as the processes of the exchange of goods between centres of power, rural regions and production sites in the period from the Roman era to the High Middle Ages are examined from very different perspectives. Both for the large-scale development tendencies and the relationships between different economic regions as well as for the production sites and the marketing routes, the contributions offer trend-setting explanations, fundamental presentations and exceptional descriptions. They form the basis for future research in parts of Europe adjacent to the Rhineland, which is planned within the framework of the cooperation and will be reflected in further conferences.
