This study investigates the archaeological and social contexts of early Christian burial practices at Ostia Antica, Rome’s port city, through a case study of the cemeterial basilica at Pianabella. Built on a pagan necropolis in ca. 400 AD, the Pianabella Basilica is one of the few unambiguously Christian monuments from Ostia in the Late Antique period. Consequently, it provides evidence for the continuities and transformations of late Roman culture during the period of Christianity’s rise to prominence. Examination of the construction of the basilica, as well as its rich iconography and epigraphy, proceeds through a social approach within a holistic view of material culture, showing that the physical characteristics of Christian burial were acquired through selective appropriation of common pagan mortuary practices while also adjusting to changing cultural assumptions. The Pianabella inscriptions show the persistence of patronage, while the construction of the basilica and its dedication to a nameless saint show the increasing importance of the suburbium for the city’s religious topography. The semi-monumental nature and advantaged location of this basilica made it an important meeting place for the Christians, whose appropriations can be seen in three aspects: (1) epigraphy suggests that patronage by the institutional church gradually replaced that by important families; (2) patterns of sarcophagus use point to attempts at social improvement while showing clear preference for less iconic forms of sarcophagi; and (3) the arrangement of the burials in the basilica’s main funerary enclosure and epigraphy emphasize the prominence of the saint to whom the basilica was dedicated. The basilica thus took on much of the ritual and social creativity that had belonged to the family tomb, where reunion in death did away with death’s sting, while providing Christians with a sense of community. The organization of funerary space at Pianabella suggests further that the focus of mortuary provision was ultimately on the living. Taken together, it seems that funerary processions to the basilica provided a sphere in which local Christians could benefit from communal meals and the spectacle of status display, while pointing to God as a new and improved type of paterfamilias. / text

Au sein de cette thèse de doctorat, l’auteur a cherché à appréhender les suburbia d'Ostie (Rome, Latium Italie) au travers d’analyses menées sur différentes échelles, depuis l’étude globale des quartiers de Porta Marina et du Trastevere Ostiense jusqu’à des fouilles stratigraphiques. Les structures qui forment ces deux quartiers ont d’abord été analysés et classés comme « unités topographiques », puis incluses dans un SIG. Les données relatives à chaque structure ont été récoltées aussi bien durant les investigations menées au sein des archives du Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica qu’au cours de prospections sur le terrain, de l’analyse de photographies aériennes, de relevés, d’observations in situ et des fouilles.Au cours de cette enquête, plusieurs objets mis au jour lors d’anciennes fouilles ont été pris en compte et insérés dans des fiches de catalogues créées ad hoc, intégrées au SIG. Ainsi, le recensement des structures archéologiques du Trastevere Ostiense ont permis de mettre en évidence un territoire densément construit, au moins depuis le Ier siècle ap. J.-C. et ce, jusqu’au Ve siècle ap. J.-C. L'étude globale de l'évolution urbaine du quartier de Porta Marina a permis d'identifier pas moins de 13 phases principales, qui s’étendent du Ier siècle av. J.-C. jusqu'au VIe siècle, en plus de deux phases de spoliations et d’une phase d'érosion marine datée du Moyen Age. Parmi les principales découvertes, il faut d’abord signaler la découverte d'une importante activité de construction entre l'époque Julio-Claudienne et l'époque Flavienne. Cette phase, qui était restée presque inconnue jusqu’à présent, est en partie liée à l’édification de bâtiments funéraires. Si l’on se fie à ces nouveaux éléments, il est très probable qu’une nécropole ait vu le jour à cette époque, au-delà de la Porta Marina. Cette nécropole fut ensuite complètement démantelée lors du développement du quartier maritime voulu par l'empereur Hadrien en personne.L'approche analytique menée à l’échelle d’un quartier, couplée aux bornes chronologiques apportées par les fouilles conduites dans le cadre du projet Ostia Marina, a permis de donner une vision totalement renouvelée du front de mer de la ville. Les recherches menées sur les bâtiments construits contre et par-dessus l’enceinte tardo-républicaine ont permis de mettre en évidence l’abandon rapide de sa fonction défensive, quoique cette structure ait été respectée jusqu'au début du IIe siècle ap. J.-C. Par la suite, le bras oriental a fonctionné comme un aqueduc, tandis que le bras occidental fut rasé pour construire de nouveaux édifices. A la place de la Porta Marina, un arc fut élevé à la place de l’ancienne porte afin de délimiter la ville intra-muros et la ville extra-muros. Le plan d'un grand bâtiment a pu être complétée à partir de photos aériennes. Celui-ci est situé dans la partie orientale du suburbium situé au-delà de Porta Marina, qui n’a pas encore été fouillée.Les phases relatives à l’Antiquité tardive témoignent de la vitalité de ce quartier tout au long du IVe siècle ap. J.-C. et ce, jusqu'au début du Ve siècle. En revanche, des signes importants d'abandon apparaissent au cours de la première moitié du Ve siècle. Cette phase d’abandon trouve probablement son origine dans le tremblement de terre daté au 443 ap. J.-C.Un autre acquis majeur de cette étude a trait aux relations entre ville et mer, ainsi qu’aux changements du littoral au cours des siècles. L'étude des traces d'érosion sur les bâtiments qui se trouvaient près de l'ancienne plage ont permis de confirmer l'hypothèse d'une érosion marine postérieure à la fin de l’Antiquité, datable au XIe siècle, qui a détruit certains bâtiments, conditionnant ainsi notre vision de la ville antique sur le front de mer. / In this thesis the study of the suburbs of Ostia (Rome, Italy) took place at different levels of study, from the macro scale of the entire neighborhoods to the micro scale of the single stratigraphic trench. The archaeological evidence of the porta Marina area and of the “Trastevere Ostiense” have been analyzed and filed as Topographical Units and recorded in a GIS. For each structure data were collected either through the consultation of archives, through field surveys, aerial photography, direct examinations and excavation essays. 148 artifacts from the old excavations were recorded and inserted in a data base created ad hoc. Where possible, spatial data was associated with the objects, with the positioning in the place of discovery within the GIS. The survey of the archaeological evidences of the “Trastevere Ostiense” allowed to recognize a densely built territory, with a chronology that goes from first to at least the fifth century AD. Among the types of buildings identified, the “horreum” seems to be the prevailing. The precise positioning of some excavation trenches of 1957 at the loop of the Tiber has allowed to identify a flood zone of second-third century AD reclaimed and built. At the same time, on the other side, the Via Ostiense was rebuilt further south due to erosion.The overall study of the urbanistic evolution of the suburban area of porta Marina has allowed to identify 13 main phases of life, from the first century BC until the 6th century AD, in addition to two phases of spoliation and a phase of sea erosion of the Middle Age. Among the main novelties there is the discovery of a notable construction activity dating back to the Julio-Claudian age to the Flavia age, previously almost unknown, which can be partially connected to funerary buildings. It is very probable, in the light of the new data, that there was a necropolis outside porta Marina, which was completely dismantled during the Hadrianic urban renovation and the thermal development of the maritime district. The large-scale analytical approach, also thanks to the chronological extremes derived from the excavations carried out with the Ostia Marina Project, has led to a completely renewed vision of the city's maritime sector. The presumed preservation of late Republican funerary monuments in the imperial era turned out to be a not entirely exact theory, the result of the distorted vision created with the E-42 restorations and demolitions. The stratigraphic analysis shows a partial obliteration of the funerary monuments already occurred by the end of the first century. A.D. due to the raising of the walking surfaces. The research on buildings built close to and above the Late-Republic walls made it possible to highlight that they quickly lost the defensive functions, but continued to be respected until the beginning of the second century AD. Subsequently, the eastern part functioned as an aqueduct, while the western part was demolished to build new buildings. An arch was built in place of the porta Marina door, to set the limit between town and suburb. Starting from some aerial photos, the plan of a large building, located in the eastern unexcavated portion of the porta Marina suburban area, was completed. The particular form of the complex allows to hypothesize a link to the “foro ad mare” built by Aureliano, mentioned in the Historia Augusta. The study of the late-antique phases revealed a remarkable vitality of the district throughout the IV until the beginning of the fifth century AD, while during the first half of the 5th century AD strong signs of abandonment appear. The probable effects of the earthquake of 443 AD were found, starting from the traces of collapse found in at least four buildings. Another important acquisition concerns the relationship between the city and the sea and changes in the coastline over the centuries.

Texte remanié de: Diss.--München--Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 1996. / Bibliogr. p. 353-354.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thèse--Université de Paris.

The main objective of the research discussed in this thesis was to evaluate the methods and materials used by builders in ancient Ostia to produce mortar for masonry structures. The work was conducted with an eye toward understanding why the ancient builders selected specific materials and employed specific techniques. The research design included scientific investigations of mortar samples from selected structures in Ostia, all dated from brick stamp evidence to the 2nd century CE. The methods employed for this study included thin section petrography, modal analysis via point counting, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and image analysis. Results concluded the samples comprised lime binder and primarily volcanic tuff aggregates derived from the Colli Albani and Monti Sabatini volcanic districts. The selection of these aggregates was integral to mortar performance, as they contained alteration products that would have facilitated pozzolanic reactions during the production phase, greatly improving long term mortar performance and durability. Three distinct types of mortar representing unique mix designs were identified based on the material properties of the mortar samples and the dominant aggregate types. Unique mixes may have been proprietary to specific groups of builders in Ostia, which had been identified by other researchers comparing the architectural features and construction styles of various structures. The results of material analyses showed that the builders from 2nd century Ostia were highly skilled, used sophisticated techniques to produce high quality mortar, and that separate groups of builders employed unique mix designs to achieve similar results.

La recherche a été menée sur les amphores d’origine africaine produites entre le milieu du IIe siècle av. J. C. et la fin du Ier-début du IIe siècle apr. J. C. et prend son origine dans l’étude du mobilier provenant des fouilles d’archéologie urbaine réalisées à Rome, dans le quartier du Testaccio, dans les années 2005-2009. Les amphores sélectionnées ont été celles de production de tradition punique, africaine (où présumée africaine) et tripolitaine. En particulier la catégorie d’amphores appelées amphores africaines précoces, fait encore l'objet de beaucoup de doutes, en l'absence de recherches systématiques. L'étude a permis de proposer une nouvelle reconstruction générale de l'évolution typologique des amphores et des dynamiques chronologiques et commerciales du Ier siècle de l'Empire romain, en enrichissant la connaissance de leur diffusion à Rome. L’étude peut offrir une première reconstruction générale, à travers une recherche systématique, de l'évolution typologique et chronologique, de la production (les ateliers des premières phases productives de l’époque romaine ne sont presque pas connus par rapport à ceux des époques successives, à partir du IIe siècle) et de la diffusion dans le bassin de la Méditerranée en contribuant à éclaircir les dynamiques commerciales et productives du premier siècle de l'Empire romaine. En particulier cette étude a permis de comprendre que l’origine des amphores africaines précoces est désormais à placer dans le nord-ouest de la Tunisie, redonnant toute sa place a une région relativement délaissée par les études récentes, bien que elle était la premier zone de colonisation de l’Afrique romaine. / The research is pointed on the ancient african amphorae coming from the excavation of Nuovo Mercato Testaccio, carried out between 2005 and 2009 in Rome. In particular, beside the punique and tripolitanian types as so called Dressel 18, Schoene-Mau 40, Schoene-Mau 35 and Tripolitanian amphora first-second, the research is focused on the type Dressel 26, Ancient Tripolitanian amphora and Ostia 59 and 23, at the moment less known in terms of typology, production and diffusion.The quite strong presence of those amphorae in the excavation of Nuovo Mercato Testaccio has been the “start” for this research. The aims of the research are: define the typological evolution and origin of the early african amphorae; reconstruct the commercial flux of african goods to Rome in the 1st century A.D.; analyze the contents of amphorae with gascromatography (we already analyze nine samples); The present research implement the typological study of early african amphorae and, with the support of petrographic analysis, contribute to clarify origin and chronology of amphorae. The study try to give back an image of the presence of those amphorae across the Mediterranean and in Rome from the 2nd century B.C. to the 1st century A.D. One of the most important results of this study is to identify the origin of Early African Amphorae in Northern-Tunisia. In conclusion the research contribute to highlight the trade of african goods in the Mediterranean basin and in Rome from half II B.C. to end of I A.D.-beginning of II A.D.

Os estudiosos das casas de elite (domus) datadas da Antiguidade Tardia, em geral, têm como foco os usos das mansões pelos proprietários. Nessa perspectiva, considera-se que as mansões eram planejadas de maneira a possibilitar e maximizar o poder dos aristocratas em inúmeras ocasiões. Os demais usuários das casas, no entanto, são tidos como meros receptáculos passivos da hegemonia aristocrática. Essa dissertação, a partir de um estudo de caso da cidade de Óstia (séculos IV e V d.C.), leva em conta os usos das mansões enquanto formas de afirmação do poder dos proprietários, mas também suas apropriações pelos grupos subalternos. Analiso evidências arqueológicas, epigráficas e textuais com o intuito de ter uma visão mais aprofundada sobre o tema. / The scholars of the elite houses (domus) dating from Late Antiquity, in general, focus on the uses of the mansions by the owners. From this perspective, the mansions are considered to be designed to enable and maximize the power of aristocrats on numerous occasions. The other users of the houses, however, are regarded as mere passive receptacles of aristocratic hegemony. This dissertation, based on a case study of the city of Ostia (4th and 5th centuries AD), takes into account the uses of the mansions as forms of affirmation of the power of the owners, but also their appropriations by the subaltern groups. I analyze archaeological, epigraphic and textual evidence with the intention of having a more in-depth view on the subject.

Les théâtres romains, dont on peut observer les vestiges dans de très nombreuses villes tout autour de la Méditerranée, sont des objets familiers et pourtant souvent encore mal connus. Ils n’ont bénéficié que de rares études synthétiques. Inspiré par les recherches menées sur les théâtres et autres édifices de spectacles des époques plus récentes, ce travail porte un regard résolument urbain sur des édifices polyvalents caractéristiques de l’urbanitas : à la fois lieux de spectacles, de vie quotidienne et de cérémonies, lieux de rassemblements civiques et religieux, lieux de mixité sociale. Les innovations architecturales apportées par les Romains à la forme théâtrale inventée par les Grecs leur permettaient en effet de déterminer plus librement la place des théâtres dans leurs villes et de les intégrer à des programmes urbains concertés et signifiants. En confrontant l’analyse des représentations antiques - figurées ou littéraires - des théâtres romains et quelques études de cas archéologiques approfondies, l’objectif était d’explorer et de clarifier l’ensemble des liens qui pouvaient se nouer entre le théâtre et la ville à l’époque romaine, des plus matériels aux plus symboliques. La multiplication des échelles d’approche et l’attention portée à l’insertion dynamique et subjective des théâtres dans les paysages urbains les fait apparaître comme des objets à la fois typiques et singuliers, complexes et immédiatement lisibles et pour finir remarquablement efficaces dans la composition et l’incarnation de l’image des villes. / The vestiges of Roman theatres are ubiquitous throughout the Mediterranean Basin; these structures are familiar, yet remain relatively unexplored, with only a few studies considering their general place in Roman life. Inspired by research on the theatres and entertainment buildings of more recent times, this study offers an urbanistic perspective on these multipurpose edifices; characteristic of the urbanitas, these were at the same time buildings for theatrical performances, ritual ceremonies, and daily activities; civic and religious meeting places; centres of social interaction. The innovations the Romans made to the architectural theatrical form invented by the Greeks enabled them to redefine the theatre’s place in the city and to incorporate it purposefully into their plans for urbanization. Combining the analysis of ancient textual and pictoral representations of Roman theatres with archaeological case studies, this thesis explores and clarifies the practical and symbolic relationships between the theatre and the city in Roman times. By broadening the scope of investigation and by exploring the dynamic and affective positioning of the theatre into the Roman urban landscape, this thesis reveals these architectural structures to be simultaneously typical and unique, complex and understandable, and ultimately remarkably effective in establishing and embodying the image of the city.

Ostie et Portus sont deux villes portuaires emblématiques de la façade littorale de la Rome antique. Construites au contact du Tibre et de la mer Tyrrhénienne, elles se situent dans des milieux géomorphologiquement très instables (mobilité du fleuve et du trait de côte). Nous nous proposons dans cette étude de reconstituer les dynamiques hydrosédimentaires du Tibre deltaïque à l’époque romaine (principalement aux Ier s. av. – Ier s. ap. J.-C.) et d’en identifier les conséquences sur le système Ostie-Portus. Pour mener à bien ce travail, nous nous appuyons sur des données sédimentaires issues de carottages réalisés dans le paléoméandre d’Ostie et les canaux de Portus. Ces résultats sont ensuite confrontés aux données archéologiques et historiques. Le croisement des données sédimentaires, archéologiques et textuelles permet d’envisager une crise hydrosédimentaire d’origine anthropoclimatique dans le bassin versant du Tibre s’étalant de la seconde partie du Ier s. av. J.-C. au début du Ier s. ap. J.-C. A Ostie, cette crise s’exprime par : (1) une accumulation de sédiments à l’embouchure du Tibre qui conduit au comblement du port fluvial d’Ostie ; (2) plusieurs inondations importantes (parfois torrentielles – cf. Rome) ; et (3) peut-être une hausse des niveaux phréatiques. A cela s’ajoute, avant ou pendant cette crise, une forte variabilité latérale de l’embouchure et du paléoméandre d’Ostie, qui a pu affecter le développement d’Ostie. Contraint par une forte pression démographique à Rome et par le contexte socio-économique, Claude fonde Portus au milieu du Ier s. ap. J.-C. Cette ville portuaire maritime est conçue dans l’idée de pallier les insuffisances du port d’Ostie : (1) les capacités d’accueil du port sont considérablement accrues (bassin de 200 ha) ; (2) le site d’implantation est choisi 3 km au nord de l’embouchure du Tibre pour échapper aux contraintes hydrosédimentaires qui se posaient à Ostie. Pour des raisons logistiques (transport des marchandises vers Rome), la planification de Portus est accompagnée d’un système de canaux relié au Tibre. Les ingénieurs romains prennent cependant soin de dissocier le système des canaux de celui des bassins portuaires (gestion de la charge solide) et certains de ces canaux sont envisagés comme évacuateurs de crue (gestion des inondations). Les études sédimentaires menées permettent de décrire les modalités de fonctionnement et de comblement de certains de ces canaux (Canale Traverso, Canale Romano). Ce travail est complété par une réflexion méthodologique sur le diagramme de Passega et une modélisation de l’évolution holocène de la partie nord du delta du Tibre à partir de l’analyse de carottes. / Ostia and Portus are two important harbour cities located on theThyrrenian coast, near the ancient Rome. This location corresponds to a fastly changing landscape (river and coastline mobility). The aim of this study is to reconstruct the Tiber hydrosedimentary dynamics in its delta plain during Ancient times (mainly in the 1st c. BC - 1st c. AD) and to identify their impact on the system Ostia-Portus. To complete this work, we analyse sedimentary cores drilled in the palaeomeander of Ostia and the canals of Portus. These results are compared to the archaeological and historical data. Crossing sedimentary, archaeological and textual data allows to consider hydrosedimentary anthropoclimatic crisis in the Tiber River watershed, during the period between the second part of the Ist century BC and the beginning of the Ist century AD. This crisis is expressed in Ostia, by: (1) a sediment accumulation at the mouth of the Tiber River, leading to the filling of the river mouth harbour of Ostia; (2) several major floods (at Rome - sometimes torrential floods); and (3) perhaps an increase of the groundwater levels. During this hydrosedimentological crisis or before, a strong lateral mobility of the Tiber mouth and the palaeomeander of Ostia probably affect the development of the city. Obliged by a strong demographic pressure in Rome and by the socio-economical context, Claude built Portus in the middle of the 1st century AD. Portus is planned with the idea to overcome the shortcomings of Ostia’s harbour: (1) by an increased harbour basin area (200 ha), and (2) by its establishment, 3 km north of the Tiber mouth, to avoid the main hydrosedimentary constraints. For logistical reasons (goods transport to Rome), Portus includes a fluvial canal system, connected to the Tiber River. However, Roman engineers take care to separate the canal system and the harbour basins (sediment load) and some of these canals are considered floodways (flood management). Sedimentary analysis characterise the canal functioning and filling (Canale Traverso, Canale Romano). This work is complemented by a methodological reflection on the Passega diagram and by a modeling of the Holocene evolution of the Tiber delta’s northern part , based onthe analysis of core samples.