The Pasts of Roman Anatolia
Interpreters, Traces, Horizons

Examines how people in the Roman past thought about even earlier ruins and material remains—it examines incidents that could be described as 'archaeology in antiquity'.

Felipe Rojas (Author)

9781108484886, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 October 2019

270 pages
26.1 x 18.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.74 kg

'This is a ?ne book and thought-provoking throughout. It is warmly recommended.' Andy Merrills, Isis

In this volume, Felipe Rojas examines how the inhabitants of Roman Anatolia interacted with the physical traces of earlier civilizations in their midst. Combining material and textual evidence, he shows that interest in and knowledge about pre-classical remains was deep and widespread. Indeed, ancient interaction with the remnants of even more ancient pasts was a vital part of life for many and diverse people in Roman Anatolia. Such interaction ranged from the purported translation of Bronze and Iron Age inscriptions to the physical manipulation of monuments and objects, including prehistoric earthen mounds and archaic statues. Occasionally, it even involved the production of fake antiquities. Offering new insights into both the archaeology and history of the Roman Mediterranean, Rojas's book is also an innovative contribution to the archaeology and anthropology of memory.

1. Introduction
2. Interpreters
3. Traces
4. Horizons
5. Beyond Anatolia
6. The past in things: ancient archaeophilia and modern archaeology.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Archaeology by period / region [HDD], Archaeology [HD], Humanities [H], History of art: ancient & classical art,BCE to c 500 CE [ACG], History of art / art & design styles [AC], The arts [A]