Mansiones: a New Look at Mansio Archaeology in Light of San Miceli and Household Archaeology
Problem The identification of mansiones in the archaeological record has proven difficult, if not impossible. One factor contributing to the problem has been focusing on typological and descriptive studies in order to identify the functional characteristics of mansiones. Another has been the lack of any explicit method and theory for interpreting the functional characteristics of the archaeological data related to mansiones. Both of these factors have been observed in the recent excavations at San Miceli. Method Due to the functional nature of mansiones, there is a need to reevaluate current paradigms for interpreting the archaeological data related to mansiones. One possible solution comes from the underlying method and theory of household archaeology. One of the useful advances in household archaeology has the identification of the functional characteristics of households: production, distribution, transmission, and reproduction. In order to identify the common functional characteristics of mansiones, these categories can be modified in this way: production, distribution, consumption, and transportation. Results Based on the functional categories, the structure exposed at San Miceli is most likely not a mansio. There has been no archaeological evidence of activities related to transportation or activities related to transportation recovered from San Miceli. Conclusions In order to better understand the functional characteristics of mansiones, adopting a more functional rubric for identifying the functions that were common to most, if not all, mansiones. The functional categories can be used to test for identifying archaeological characteristics of mansiones. Using this rubric with the archaeological data from San Miceli, the Field A structure at San Miceli most likely did not function as a mansio. Further excavations that would include spatial analysis of the material culture can possibly reveal which functions occurred in particular rooms in order to identify how the architecture related to the various functions.
Mansiones, Archaeology, San Miceli, Household, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology
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