Description

Rethinking Ostia presents an archaeological and spatial approach to Roman urbanism, combining archaeological research with today's insights into urban planning. Taking the reader along the route of a "spatial investigation" the book offers a new overview and a fresh evaluation of the past society and the built environment of Rome's leading port city. Following a scalar approach at different spatial ranges, the author examines various aspects of Ostia's urban landscape, applying methods of spatial analysis to individual houses, an entire 'Insula'-neighborhood, and the street system. A careful reconstruction of the Insula's development over the first three centuries CE forms the core of the book. The work reveals how everyday life was structured in the city, and how this evolved over time in response to internal and external influences on the lives of the citizens.