[DCSB] Silvia Polla (Topoi) Between Demography and Consumption: Digital and Quantitative approaches in the Mediterranean Surface Survey

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The interpretation of archaeological surface survey data is not straightforward. The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate the interpretative potential of the surface survey record in terms, on the one hand of demography and settlement pattern, on the other hand of consumption and changing social patterns of commodities distribution and access, using the microregional ceramic dataset collected during fieldwork in the region of Thugga (Tunisian High Tell). By analyzing rural surface pottery assemblages among settlements pattern and topography, I will show the application of a spatial and quantitative approach to the survey record and discuss its potential and risks. At the macroregional scale, consumption patterns will be considered in a comparative perspective among urban and rural settlements as well as coastal sites and rural hinterland of the Roman Province Africa Proconsularis. The reconstruction of a geography consumption allows a ceramic view on the economic development of the Roman Province and on its integration in the inter-regional and long distance markets.

Education

Silvia Polla, Institut für Klassische Archäologie, Freie Universität BerlinDigital Classicist Berlin, 18.10.2016
Between Demography and Consumption:
Digital and Quantitative approaches in the Mediterranean Surface Survey

Hobson 2012 Hobson 2012, after Bonifay 2004
de Vos, Attoui 2012

Mattingly 2011, 139, Tab 5.2
Economic structure Location Economic mechanism Archaeological
correlates
Imperial Economy Empirewide and
beyond frontiers
Taxation, imperial
exploitation
of land, labor,
resources,
redistribution,
largesse, and salary
commitments
Monetization focused
on military needs, tax
gathering (Egyptian
tax grain
arrangements, etc.);
long range movement
of many commodities
to frontier provinces or
Rome, military bias in
distribution patterns
Extraprovincial
Economies
Empirewide and
beyond frontiers
Free-market economy,
response to
opportunities
of imperial supply, gift
exchange
Interprovincial
movement
of goods to local
markets,
consumption of
imported
goods on civilian sites
Provincial Economies Within provincial
borders, often
localized around
major towns
Free-market economy,
response to taxation,
monetization
Local market
distributions
of locally produced
goods,
spread of monetization
to smaller market
centers

192; 75%
65; 25%
good soils bad soils
22
1
6
6
2
2
1
2
6
0 5 10 15 20 25
Flat
North
North-East
East
South-East
South
West
North-West
North
Nr Farms (tot = 48 belonging to the Vandal-
Byzantine Phase)
Duration of occupation Topography (Slope facing)
Soil quality
Test on 257 „farms“, all periods

Insch Press CW ACW HM BGW IS GLA CBM DW AMPH PW LA
ARS
correlation
coefficient ,153**
,318**
,892**
,506**
,484**
,193**
,337**
,444**
,683**
,446**
,772**
,153**
,523**
15,77%
38,56%
0,65%
1,72%0,08% 0,25%
1,15%
7,97%
0,57%
27,77%
0,05%
0,41%
2,50% 2,01% 0,53%
0,01% ARS
CW
ACW
HM
BGW
IS
GLA
CBM
DW
AMPH
PW
LA
MW
M
OS
TW
>>Very poor assemblages
Sites with no ARS Ware
Ceramic Classes
Correlation between ceramic classes in the surface assemblages

Dougga Survey: Clusteranalysis of „Farms“
Methods: hierarchical Clusteranalysis,Ward-Method,Gower-Distance
Single Variables:
„Location“ + „Size“ + „Slope“ + „Inscriptions“+ „Oil presses“ + „Ceramic Classes
(„ARS","CW","ACW","HM","BGW","IS","GLA","CBM“,"DW","AMPH","PW","LA","TW„)“, +
+ „Phase1",„Phase2",„Phase3",„Phase4",„Phase5",„Phase6",„Phase7"
Group 1: 119
Group 2: 10
Group 3: 44

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Early Roman Middle Roman Late Roman Vandal Byzantine Islamic
New Continuing Reoccupied Abandoned
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Pre-Roman Early Roman Middle
Roman
Late Roman Vandal Byzantine Islamic
Total sites
Byzantine

pots = sites = people ?
> Population growth vs decline ?
Dougga Survey: Fine Wares Distribution

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
year60
year75
year90
year105
year120
year135
year150
year165
year180
year195
year210
year225
year240
year255
year270
year285
year300
year315
year330
year345
year360
year375
year390
year405
year420
year435
year450
year465
year480
year495
year510
year525
year540
year555
year570
year585
year600
year615
year630
year645
year660
year675
year690
ARS-based Survey Chronology (Weighted mean/year)

Dougga Survey: Site Density and Settlement Pattern

2.5 2.5
Dougga Off-site Pottery Survey Survey Intensity/ Number of sites
Visibility / Number of sites
Terrenato 2004
2.
5
2.
5

Mapalia, El Alia (Mahdia,IIAD).
/HaCeramics/ha
Archaeological record and past social variability

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