Archaeology
Settlement and Survey
Team members including Anita Casarotto, Jesús García Sánchez and Lisa Götz lead survey and excavation strands that document farmsteads and field systems.
About Us
About the Landscapes of Early Roman Colonization Project
We are an interdisciplinary research group studying how Roman colonists transformed farmland, waterways and settlement patterns in the early phases of colonization, combining archaeology, environmental science and historical geography.
Our History
The project grew out of a shared question: when Roman colonial foundations were laid out across the landscape, how quickly did local farming systems change, and what did those changes cost the environment? Early discussions brought together archaeologists working on rural settlement and environmental scientists studying sediments and pollen records.
Over successive field seasons the group built a dataset linking surveyed field systems, excavated farmsteads and dated sediment sequences. This dataset became the foundation for the comparative analysis that now guides our work.
Mission and Values
Our work is guided by three commitments that shape every project decision.
01
Evidence First
We build interpretations from measured data, and we state clearly where the evidence is thin or contested.
02
Shared Method
Survey, excavation and environmental data are recorded in comparable formats so that every team member can reuse them.
03
Open Knowledge
Summaries, methods and publications are made available to scholars, students and local communities.
Team Overview
Researchers from several European institutions contribute to the project, each bringing expertise in a specific strand of the landscape record.
Environmental Science
Sediments and Palaeoecology
Jan Sevink, Hans Kamermans and colleagues analyse cores, pollen and soil profiles to reconstruct past vegetation and drainage conditions.
Spatial Analysis
Mapping and Modelling
Team members such as Rogier Kalkers and Ruud van Otterloo integrate spatial data into models that test colonial land allocation scenarios.
Our Journey
The project has developed in stages, each building on the results of the previous one.
Founding
Initial Research Framework
The team defined the comparative questions and selected study regions with well-documented colonial foundations.
Fieldwork
Multi-Season Campaigns
Survey, excavation and coring campaigns produced the core dataset on field systems, farmsteads and sediment change.
Synthesis
Comparative Interpretation
Current work brings the regional results together to assess how colonization reshaped landscapes over time.
Why Our Approach Matters
5
Core research strands
3
Study regions compared
2
Disciplines in every campaign
100%
Data shared with the team
Work With Us
Whether you are a researcher, student or local partner, we welcome conversation about the landscapes of early Roman colonization.