Synopses & Reviews
Since excavation began in 1948, the site of Cosa has become one of our most important sources on Roman colonization, urbanism, and daily life. These excavations illuminate every phase of the site's history, from the Republican and early imperial period, to a medieval castle destroyed in the 14th century.
This book includes a narrative account of the history of the town seen in the light of the excavations, as well as the publication of all the medieval finds from the site. Illustrated with 150 figures and plates, including numerous reconstruction drawings and an important sequence of Roman pottery, it will be useful to all those interested in Roman and Medieval archaeology and history.
An innovative aspect of this publication is the simultaneous web publication of the site's stratigraphy. In this manner, the detailed site information will be available to specialists and those of the general public who closely follow new directions in Roman archaeology.
Elizabeth Fentress is an independent scholar and archaeologist working in Rome. She served as Mellon Professor at the American Academy in Rome between 1996 and 1999.
Synopsis
The city of Cosa in Italy is one of the most completely excavated of all Roman cities, revealing a continuity of occupation from the 2nd century BC, when the colony was founded, until the 14th century. This well-presented study summarises the archaeological evidence for each phase of occupation and destruction, highlighting structures of particular interest, such as the House of Diana, and noting changes in the city's layout. The archaeological story ends in the 14th century when the site, then dominated by a castle, was severely reduced by the Black Death. Much of the book contains specialist finds reports, including studies of all of the medieval objects which have been largely overlooked by previous volumes. The specialists discuss Roman finds from the temple and forum, the Roman and medieval minor objects, the classical and medieval coins, inscriptions and graffiti, Roman ceramics from the House of Diana, the medieval pottery and the human skeletal remains. The book includes a well-illustrated section on the decoration of the House of Diana, including its wall paintings, mosaics, sculpture, furniture and terracottas. The full stratigraphy of the site can be consulted on a website.
Synopsis
A presentation of seven years' archaeological excavation, research, and analysis of the site of Cosa