Abstract

This lecture will introduce problems and possibilities of urbanism studies within the territory of the Roman province of Moesia, covering parts of today’s Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia and Romania. Archaeological sites in these countries very often suffer from problematic preconditions for research (modern occupation, industry, natural and political factors). Thus, investigating settlement patterns and fixing criteria for urbanity, urban settlements in contrast to non-urban settlements and urban practice is no easy task. For instance, many Moesian settlements lack features typically expected in a Roman city. The lecture will discuss whether this is due to the conditions of sites and archaeological research or really relates to ancient reality, meaning that we might have to consider reframing generalised conceptions of urbanity within Moesia or even the Roman Empire in general.