Changing Landscapes. The impact of Roman towns in the Western Mediterranean

Roman archaeology has for centuries been looking mostly at the urban centres and especially at the great monuments that rose within them. Today, a new generation of archaeologists has convincingly shown which was the crucial impact of Roman urbanism on the landscapes of the Western Empire. Using an array of new techniques, such as remote sensing and GIS-based spatial analysis, integrated with more traditional approaches, new ideas about the relationship of interdependency between town and territory have been developed.

During a 3-day congress held near the Romano-Lusitanian town site and museum of Ammaia, in central Portugal, internationally renowned researchers have presented regional syntheses and excellent case-studies of this impact of Roman towns on the landscapes of, in particular, the south-western provinces. This book is a well illustrated reflection of this scientific endeavour, which will set out the pathways of research into Roman urbanism and landscape evolution during the coming decades.