Archaeology and History of the Roman Provinces

The subject of Archaeology and History of the Roman Provinces focuses on all regions that were part of the Roman Empire as provinces for varying lengths of time. At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to North Africa and from Portugal to Iraq. Sicily became the first Roman province in 242 BCE. Following the division of the Roman Empire at the end of the 4th century CE, the Western Roman Empire disintegrated, with its last emperor deposed in 476 CE. In contrast, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire continued to exist in evolving forms until 1453. Its rulers still referred to themselves as Roman emperors.

The course examines the provinces of the Roman Empire up to the end of the Western Roman Empire. A certain regional focus is placed on the northwestern provinces, spanning from Gaul to the Black Sea, partly due to current job market considerations. The discipline aims to reconstruct ancient life as comprehensively as possible and to understand its lasting impact on the present day. This includes not only historical events and processes but also the social, cultural, and economic developments and mechanisms that shaped the everyday realities of provincial populations. Topics of study include various settlement forms, urban and rural life, worldviews and religion, funerary practices and concepts of the afterlife, infrastructure and communication, as well as technology, trade and commerce, skilled trades, and resource management.

In principle, all preserved artifacts are relevant for research, encompassing written, visual, and material sources (finds, features, monuments). The discipline’s task is to document, preserve, analyze, and evaluate this diverse and multifaceted body of sources in a question-oriented manner. The type, proportion, and potential significance of sources naturally vary depending on the topic and research question. Increasingly, sources that can be analyzed using natural science methods, such as organic materials and remains, are also included, along with research approaches requiring material science-based analytical investigations.

Through the Archaeometry minor program and the Ceramic Research Position, the Institute of Archaeological Sciences offers a unique bridge between archaeology and natural science. The Frankfurt Chair is the only one of its kind in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate.

In the minor program, given the abundance of sources, methods, and questions, both content and methodological focuses are addressed as exemplified by specific cases. The success of the program depends essentially on your own initiative and efforts in independent study, which should aim to expand and deepen your own fundamentals. These include a solid knowledge of Latin as well as modern languages in which specialist literature is published. Additionally, it is important to acquire strong material knowledge and sufficient excavation experience. These skills are not only prerequisites for the critical evaluation of published and unpublished findings but also essential qualifications for a successful career as an archaeologist.

For more information about the minor in Archaeology and History of the Roman Provinces, please visit the department's page.