Visiting Assistant Professor, Art Department, Swarthmore College

“Messy Vitality:” Designing Architecture and Urbanism in Roman Africa”

One might ask, how does the study of large-scale public buildings contribute to the new discussions regarding the diversified material culture of the heterogeneous populations of the Roman provinces? The case studies presented in this lecture indicate that while there are certainly commonalities in building types and forms, the evidence suggests that there was a clear intentionality to create site-specific monumental public architecture in Africa Proconsularis that responded to the various conditions of each place.