More than Just Numbers? The Role of Science in Roman Archaeology

Unlike prehistory, the Roman period offers a wealth of archaeological evidence for investigation, with the additional benefit of written sources. It is therefore easy to underestimate the new information that can be obtained from employing scientific methods to complement traditional archaeological research. Results do not always receive the broad attention they deserve or are not as easily accessible to the non-scientist archaeological community as they could be.

This book, part of the International Roman Archaeology Conference series, presents a range of case studies from Italy and the provinces that open a fresh debate between science-based and humanities-based archaeologists. Contributions share a common methodological thread in that the application of scientific methods in each case answers research questions that traditional archaeology alone could not. Two additional reviews – one from a scientific point of view, the other by a Romanist – debate the contribution of science to Roman archaeology from two different angles.