Abstract

While the traditional and late historiographical studies tend to describe this area as static since the end of the Roman Age, the latest archaeological evidence pointed out that, after the crisis of the 3rd century and the climatic and geomorphological transformations of the 6th century, the Romagna plain was actually characterized by an early growth of settlements probably since the 5th/7th centuries. The number of sites increased considerably during the Carolingian and post Carolingian Age, with both a scattered distribution and an early nucleation of the habitat.

The aim of my Ph.D. dissertation is to investigate the rural settlements in the North of Romagna during the Late Antiquity and how they evolved during the High Middle Ages.

In order to achieve this aim, I am going to examine written, cartographic and archaeological sources. Using Social Network Analysis Method, all the result of these studies are going to be analysed and interpreted, in order to be able to understand and study different aspects, like rural settlements, land ownership, social and family connections, material culture and trade routes.

The lecture is followed by an informal wine reception. All are welcome.