Roman colonization has received a lot of attention in archaeological publications over the last decade, due to new evidence which suggested that the earlier assumptions, based mainly on a much...Show moreRoman colonization has received a lot of attention in archaeological publications over the last decade, due to new evidence which suggested that the earlier assumptions, based mainly on a much later Roman source by Gellius who describes colonies as small copies of Rome, on the subject were outdated and incorrect. While the urban aspect of Roman colonization has been extensively reviewed with this new perspective, the influence Roman colonization had on the rural landscape has been somewhat neglected. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the impact the foundation of the Roman colony of Aesernia in modern Molise had on the surrounding landscape, using survey data and aerial photographs as sources of information. In order to properly analyse the changes around Aesernia, the ancient Samnite settlement of Bovianum has been selected for analysis, providing an example of a rural landscape which due to its history was more likely to retain its “Samnite” character. Despite difficulties with the available data concerning these area, mainly due to the relative underrepresentation of Molise in Italian archaeology, two things have become clear. First of all, based on both the survey data and the analysis of the aerial photographs, the model described by Gellius for Roman colonies does not apply to the rural landscape of Aesernia. There is no clear break detectable in settlement pattern after the foundation of the colony, which is what is claimed by Gellius. Secondly, this study has shown the potential of a combined application of aerial photography and a field survey in a rugged region such as Molise. Not only does it provide a method to quickly analyse a large amount of land with relatively high detail and at a low cost, it also allows further archaeological research to focus its resources on the locations with the greatest archaeological importance identified with these techniques.Show less
