Constructing City Walls in Late Antiquity: An Empire-wide Perspective, Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome (Day 1) and British School at Rome (Day 2), June 20–21, 2018
Late antique urban walls are an important aspect of late antique cities throughout the eastern and western empire that dramatically reshaped and redefined the urban landscape; however, their final appearance and construction techniques varied greatly. The gradual increase in the number of studies on the topic, both for the Byzantine East and the Roman West, has allowed us to rethink how urban circuits were built and has led to new topics of discourse.
This conference, to be held at the British School at Rome and the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies on 20th – 21st June 2018, will focus on fortification walls, with a specific focus on large cities, in the late antique East and West (3th-6th centuries AD). The aim will be to re-think regional, local, and empire-wide differences and similarities within this single class of monument. The geographic focus of the conference will be intentionally wide, in an attempt to break the divide between East and West and gain, for the first-time, an empire-wide perspective.
- Topics covered by the event will include, but will not be limited to:
- Comparative analysis of building techniques and construction processes at regional and empire-wide levels;
- Spolia and the impact of the urban landscape;
- Perception of city walls in Late Antiquity and the post-Antique period;
- Comparative scientific analyses.