The wind of change: town, country, land-use and settlement patterns between the fourth and the seventh century AD, Proceedings of the III LAC Rome 2014

In the course of the last 20 years a novel interest towards the transitional phases between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages has arisen while an endless flow of new data about the period between the fourth and seventh centuries has become available. Although the progressive elaboration and dissemination of these results have started to shed some light on the so-called “dark ages” it is undoubtedly true that the methodological framework and the theoretical elaboration have not kept pace with these fieldwork achievements. Possibly because in the international context the formation of specialists in this field is still in an embryonic phase, we are often confronted with superficial analysis of the settlement dynamics and with poor criticism of ancient sources. This session intends to start the debate about the approaches to this specific phase in the light of regional and sub-regional synthesis, balancing the presentation of new data with methodological discussion. As the definition “Late Antiquity” is often used in literature for very different time spans, it is first of all essential to agree on a chronological framework, which will take into account the different historical developments in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin. Speakers will be invited to present the newest data about settlement patterns in wide geographical contexts during these four centuries of “incubation” of the changes that will announce the new world of Medieval Europe. Contributors will be asked to present regional case-studies in the light of the newest acquisitions in our knowledge on trade and productions and, with support of the geosciences, on changes in the ecological conditions. Topics such as the relationship between town and country, the settlement patterns, the transformations in land-use and communication networks, different forms of land division and reclamation or water regimentation activities, well attributable to Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, will be investigated. Issues related to the transformation of urban space and the suburbs, as well as the dynamics of expansion, reduction or abandonment of towns will be addressed, preferably inserted in the wider evaluation of the surrounding landscape and catchment area. Settlement patterns analysis should be conducted in the light of the newest acquisitions in our knowledge of trades and productions in this phase and possibly with the support of the geosciences to reconstruct changes in the ecological conditions.