How do archaeologists recognize a Roman city when they find one?

1. Architectural Forms

What are some common Roman architectural forms?

● Aqueduct●Bath house●Basilica

But because some of the architectural forms created by and used by the Romans were very sophisticated, a lot of them are still in use today, sometimes in modified forms, sometimes in forms that have remained largely unchanged since antiquity.

How is L.A. Like Ancient Rome?

Ancient Roman Baths Make Comeback in NYC

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/la-ancient-rome.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/03/07/ancient-roman-baths-make-comeback-in-new-york-city/

But a structure which shares architectural similarities to Roman architecture, or which uses space in similar ways, is not necessarily Roman...

Interior of secular Roman basilica

Colonnade

Gallery

Apse

In other examples, the architecture has been significantly modified from its original form, but the use of space remains largely the same.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa, begun 1841

Colonnade

Gallery

Apse

The early Christians in Rome adopted the architecture of the secular Roman basilica as the model for some Christian churches. Although the form has changed over time, the use of space is largely unchanged: all the activity is designed to take place at the apse end, and the space does not encourage movement or activity amongst those gathered.

But despite these similarities in architecture and use of space, we know that:

L.A. Is not a Roman city, even though it has aqueducts

New York City is not a Roman city, even though it has baths

Ottawa is not a Roman city, even though it has basilicas

So if architecture and use of space alone do not make a city 'Roman', what does?

1. Architectural Form

2. A 'Roman' city must have been built or rebuilt under the authority of ancient Rome: somewhere between 753 BC-500 AD.

Lutetia

●Predecessor of modern Paris●Largest settlement of the Gallic tribe Parisii●Founded 400-300 BC●Council of Gallic chieftains and Julius Caesar in 53 BC●Rebelled against JC under the leadership of Vercingetorix during Caesar's invasions of Gaul●Rome laid siege to, destroyed, and rebuilt the city on the site of the old one sometime after 51 BC.

Roman Architecture in Lutetia

● Forum● Basilica● Aqueducts● Necropolis● Arena● Theatre● Temples to Mercury, Isis, Jupiter● Baths

Following Vitruvius' guidelines, we can see that:

The forum is at the centre of the city (paragraph 1, chapter VII)The basilica is attached to the forum (paragraph 4, in chapter I)

Lutetia was built in a marshy area, but is adjacent to a river (paragraphs 1, 11, 12 in chapter IV)

References

Blonce, C. 2012. Lutetia (Paris). The Encyclopedia of Ancient History.

Greif, C., Er-Raqabi, M., and Garvin, T., 'The Project Gutenberg Ebook of Ten Books of Architecture, by Vitruvius', http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20239/20239-h/29239-h.htm#Page_31, 2006 (accessed 25 September 2013).

Layton, J., 'How is L.A. Like Ancient Rome?' http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/la-ancient-rome.htm, (accessed 25 September 2013).

'Lutetia', http://www.ancient.eu.com/Lutetia, 2011, (accessed 25 September 2013).

Notre Dame Cathedral [online photograph], http://www.notredameottawa.com/main.php?page_numb=0&lang=en (accessed 25 September 2013).

Olmsted, L. 'Ancient Roman Baths Make Comeback – In New York City', http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/03/07/ancient-roman-baths-make-comeback-in-new-york-city, 2012 (accessed 25 September 2013).

'Roman Paris' [online photograph) http://www.athenapub.com/14roman-paris.htm, 1996-2006 (accessed 25 September 2013).

'Roman Power / Roman Architecture' [online photograph), http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth200/politics/roman_architecture.html (accessed 25 September 2013).