We are pleased to announce that the book “Roman Rural Archaeology: Society, Economy and Culture” has been published, both the digital and the hardback version (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/roman-rural-archaeology/46E7F36223477BE6C5611883E35AC40F#fndtn-contents).
Dr Lídia Colominas has participated in this collaborative book with the writing of chapter 16 entitled “Roman Livestock Husbandry: The Importance of the Countryside”. This chapter explains the place and role of animals in the Roman economy, stressing their importance in livestock farming and food production in the countryside.
Reference: Roman Rural Archaeology: Society, Economy and Culture. Edited by Gijs Willem Tol and Astrid Van Oyen. Cambridge University Press, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009039963
Abstract: The Roman world was a rural world. Most of the Roman population lived in the countryside and had their immediate rural surroundings as their social and economic frame of reference. For much of the Roman period, rural property provided the basis for political power and urban development, and it was in rural areas that the agricultural crops that sustained an expanding empire were grown and many of the most important Roman industries were situated. Rural areas witnessed the presence of some of the most durable symbols of Roman imperial hegemony, such as aqueducts and paved roads. It was mainly here that native and Roman traditions collided and were negotiated. This volume, containing 30 chapters by leading scholars, leverages recent methodological advancements and new interpretative frameworks to provide a holistic view, with an empire-wide reach, of the importance of Roman rural areas in the success of ancient Rome.
We are very happy that the volume is out, and we look forward to reading all contributions!
