TRAC 2002: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Kent 2002

This selection of twelve papers from the twelfth annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference illustrates a broad range of theoretical approaches applied to Roman archaeology today; one trend, though, is apparent: a wider engagement with interdisciplinary research, drawing theoretical ideas from many diverse fields of study, including philosophy, psychology, history of art, and consumer theory.

Contents: Seeking a material turn: The artefactuality of the Roman Empire (Andrew Gardner); An empire in pieces: Roman archaeology and the fragment (Iain Ferris); Restoring ontological security: Roman and native objects in Early Roman Gallaecia (Alfredo Gonzalez-Ruibal); Transformations in meaning: Amber and glass beads across the Roman frontier (Ellen Swift); The realm of Janus: Doorways in the Roman world (Ardle MacMahon); Deconstructing the Frampton Pavements: Gnostic dialect in Roman Britain?(Dominic Perring); Becoming consumers: Looking beyond wealth as an explanation for villa variability (Chris Martins); Late Roman economic systems: Their implication in the interpretation of social organisation (Paul Johnson); Creolisation, pidginisation and the interpretation of unique artefacts in early Roman Britain (Gillian Carr); Breaking ground or treading water? Roman archaeology and constructive implications of the critique of meta-narratives (Stephanie Koerner); A brief comment on the TRAC session dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Roman women (Patricia Baker); Sex and the city: A biocultural investigation into female health in Roman Britain (Rebecca Redfern).