This Master thesis explores the relationship between migration and religious cults in the context of Roman imperial Ostia. By combining different academic disciplines, such as history, epigraphy,...Show moreThis Master thesis explores the relationship between migration and religious cults in the context of Roman imperial Ostia. By combining different academic disciplines, such as history, epigraphy, archeology and bio-archeology, this study aims at finding if foreign immmigrants in Ostia continued to practice their religious traditions in a community with others migrants.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This thesis studies a reconstruction of the Linguistic Landscape of Ostia, the ancient harbour town of Rome. The principal of Linguistic Landscape Studies originates in Sociolinguistics, where it...Show moreThis thesis studies a reconstruction of the Linguistic Landscape of Ostia, the ancient harbour town of Rome. The principal of Linguistic Landscape Studies originates in Sociolinguistics, where it is used to study the interrelationship between texts and the space in which they are placed. The goal of this thesis is twofold. Its primary purpose is to interpret the Linguistic Landscape of Ostia. The secondary objective concerns the question whether or not the framework can be used to study a past urban environment. The second chapter focuses on the history of Ostia, from its foundation up to its abandonment. It describes the historical development of the settlement, its political organisation and the religious practices that occurred during Antiquity. The third chapter describes the history after the city was abandoned, focusing on the post-depositional processes and the excavation history. Chapter four introduces the theoretical framework central to this thesis, first detailing the relation between texts and archaeology, including the recent concept of Written Space. It then discusses Linguistic Landscapes and its applications, before combining these into a single framework. The fifth chapter lays out the methodology that is used in the study of the Linguistic Landscape, describing the research area and the nature of the dataset used in this study. Chapter six then presents the analysis of the texts that are included in the corpus, studying patterns in their spatial distribution as well as in their various characteristics. The data presented in these previous chapters are then used in chapter seven to interpret the Linguistic Landscape of Ostia. Here, it is shown that there is a clear relationship between certain types of texts and the areas where they are placed. Texts therefore had a purpose within the spatial environment as well, and the various actors, both official and unofficial, placed the texts accordingly. One of these functions was to create a landscape of memorials, preserving the names of deceased individuals who had been important in the history of the city. The reconstruction also showed, however, that these texts eventually lost their function and were reused for the material upon which they were placed. This change in perception of texts appears to coincide with the rise of Christianity as the most prominent religion. The chapter also notes that the large amount of texts visible in the city shows that previous thoughts on literacy in Antiquity need to be reconsidered, since the texts would be meaningless without a sizable readership. The conclusion summarises these interpretations and relates them back to the research questions presented at the start of the thesis. It then determines that the reconstruction of the Linguistic Landscape of Ostia was a useful tool to better understand the relationship between texts and space in Antiquity. It is therefore concluded that the framework is indeed useful to study a past environment. Finally, a brief outlook on future applications of Linguistic Landscapes and its value for Archaeology is presented, paving the way for new research.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This research-master thesis focusses on the social implications of the Mithras cult in Rome’s port-city of Ostia. The social aspects of the cult have until now received little scholarly attention....Show moreThis research-master thesis focusses on the social implications of the Mithras cult in Rome’s port-city of Ostia. The social aspects of the cult have until now received little scholarly attention. A high number of sanctuaries dedicated to this cult are preserved in Ostia, most of which are architecturally well preserved. The methodology devised for this study is based on the concepts of Lived Religion and Spatiality. Drawing on these theoretical frameworks, a dataset of 17 sanctuaries was analysed at three distinct scales. Firstly, the sanctuaries, known as mithraea, were studied individually and compared to each other in terms of (ritual) use and decoration. Then all the mithraea were examined within their immediate urban surroundings to identify local spatial activities as well as common trends in spatial engagement. Lastly, the chronological and spatial development of the cult throughout the city was analysed, together with the relationship of these sanctuaries to the urban street network. This research yielded many novel results. In terms of ritual use, decorations, and the spatial engagement between the mithraea and their surroundings, this study identified numerous commonalities and significant variations. It can be suggested that these small religious communities transmitted thoughts and ideas to each other, and these seemed to have influenced architectural and stylistic decisions. The cult played an important role in the daily lives of a substantial number of relatively small groups of men, belonging to the mostly lower classes of society. These small religious groups formed a new social nucleus that partially replaced earlier social structures and family ties that were perhaps not so strongly present in the expanding city. The notions of ‘self’ and ‘us’ were built and fostered through initiation and exclusiveness, an obscurity attached to the sanctuaries, and the creation of a very distinct ritual identity. This identity was reinforced through the unique ritual functioning of these places and their appearance.Show less
This thesis presents a spatial analysis of insula V ii in Roman Ostia, the principal harbour city of Imperial Rome. The Severan and final phase of occupation of the insula are compared with each...Show moreThis thesis presents a spatial analysis of insula V ii in Roman Ostia, the principal harbour city of Imperial Rome. The Severan and final phase of occupation of the insula are compared with each other to gain a better understanding of the architectural and spatial changes that took place between the Severan phase, and the final occupation of the insula. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: How did the spatial organisation of insula V ii change between the Severan phase and the final phase? In order to answer this question, space syntax methods are used. By comparing the integration (real relative asymmetry) and control values of the units in the buildings between the two phases, an estimate can be given of the amount of privacy and the importance of the rooms. This thesis argues that, between the Severan and the final phase, a shift towards more privacy in the city block occured.Show less
A thesis that looks into the position, the function and the look of private and public nymphaea throughout the ancient Roman city of Ostia. The research presented in this this thesis is primarily...Show moreA thesis that looks into the position, the function and the look of private and public nymphaea throughout the ancient Roman city of Ostia. The research presented in this this thesis is primarily based on a new paradigm in the social sciences called ‘mobilities’ and the method of space syntax.Show less
The ancient Roman city of Ostia has captured the imagination of visitors and the interest of scholars for centuries. However, despite numerous past and current research projects many aspects of the...Show moreThe ancient Roman city of Ostia has captured the imagination of visitors and the interest of scholars for centuries. However, despite numerous past and current research projects many aspects of the site have remained unexplored. One of these areas concerns the role of mosaic floors found in Ostia’s commercial spaces. Although most have been described and some have been ascribed an advertising function in previous publications, no collective study into their role has been done before. This thesis focussed on exploring the role of mosaic floors in the commercial spaces of Ostia built and used in the first, second and third centuries AD. Thereby looking to identify any general trends which might explain the individual or collective decision taken to use mosaic floors in certain commercial spaces and not in others. But also aiming to bring to light which specific functions the mosaics fulfilled. Data has been collected for this research by performing a survey in Ostia as well as studying literature on Ostian mosaics, especially Becatti’s publication from 1961. Clarke’s ideas on non-elite Roman art (Clarke 2003) and the influence of the composition of black-and-white mosaics on the viewer (Clarke 1979) have been very important to interpret the data. This thesis argues that there are several reasons why mosaics would have been preferred over non-mosaics in several of Ostia’s commercial spaces. All mosaics were probably preferred over cheaper floor types as they gave the spaces a more luxurious look, which would attract (better paying) customers. Furthermore, the alternating periods of economic decline and improvement seen in the city could also have been of influence. In addition, a variety of more specific functions has been detected: advertisement, status display, expression of identity and ownership, pleasing the gods and providing a focal point for auctions. The knowledge gained through this study has given insight in the ways owners of commercial spaces in the Roman period used decorations to influence (potential) customers. But also how owners used these art forms to express personal ideas and values. Which is an interesting addition to our understanding of commerce in the Roman world.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Recent archaeological studies reflect a growing interest in neighbourhoods and neighbourhood studies, covering urban environments from antiquity to historical cities. This thesis investigates...Show moreRecent archaeological studies reflect a growing interest in neighbourhoods and neighbourhood studies, covering urban environments from antiquity to historical cities. This thesis investigates neighbourhoods in Roman Ostia, through examining the spatial relationship of one city block within itself and to the rest of the city. The central research question in this thesis is how the buildings in insula IV iv along the Via del Tempio Rotondo relate to each other, to the street, and to the contemporaneous structures on the opposite side of the street. A second part of this question is whether this area functioned as part of one neighbourhood. This thesis focuses on two buildings in the insula that directly border the Via del Tempio Rotondo, to be able to provide a complete overview of one side of the insula. Although this thesis forms part of the larger investigations of insula IV iv, owing to its comprehensive treatment of a section of the insula, it presents a complete subproject in its own right. In addition to remapping and investigating the material remains in situ, different methods of Space Syntax are used to examine the buildings and the surrounding area. Access analysis and visual analysis are used to investigate the buildings themselves, and to determine how life in these buildings would have functioned. Several axial analyses are then used to determine how the city block relates to the rest of the city of Ostia. It can then be concluded that the buildings under investigation in this thesis were part of the same neighbourhood, although this neighbourhood would have stretched beyond the limits of a single street front. Eventually, directions for future research are presented.Show less
This thesis is concerned with the city gates of Roman Ostia, the harbour-town of ancient Rome.The study examines whether there are any features (e.g. buildings, monuments and spatial use) that only...Show moreThis thesis is concerned with the city gates of Roman Ostia, the harbour-town of ancient Rome.The study examines whether there are any features (e.g. buildings, monuments and spatial use) that only occur because of the presence of the city gates. Furthermore, it investigates whether these buildings or spaces changed over time, responding to new infrastructural demands or functional requirements. To answer these questions, a detailed, map-based study and an on-site inspection of selected areas of Ostia’s built environment have been carried out. The principal data set for this study are the site maps of Ostia, available in printed form (Calza 1953) and in digital form (Manucci 1995). By examining the urban landscape of the areas around the city gates and by comparing this data to the urban composition throughout the rest of Ostia we noticed that the area around the city gates is equipped with a wide diversity of building-types. Around the gates we encountered all of the building that were needed for everyday life in Roman Ostia.Show less
