Francesca Carboni

Lecture presented by Francesca Carboni, Ghent University
The analysis of the phenomenon of urban loss and abandonment from Roman to the Middle Ages, across the former Roman Empire, is part of the most general theme concerning the transformation of classical city in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, which has characterized the scientific debate during the past decades. 
The proposed lecture tackles the challenging integration of new archaeological methods of urban survey and in depth regional-historical research, focusing on Marche region, in Adriatic Italy, where, over the 36 towns existing in Augustan age, only less than half have been continuously inhabited until present day. An updated and detailed synthesis of the state of the art on the subject will be provided, considering the historical, political and environmental diversities of different river valleys which form this geographic area, partly comprised of the ancient regions Picenum and Umbria, in the age following the Lombard conquest (AD 580). 
By better combining the traditional topographical approach with large-scale non-invasive intra-site survey (remote sensing applications, geomorphological research, intensive artifact pickups, GIS mapping, etc.) it has been possible to achieve a deeper understanding of the chronology, character and scale of discontinuity between the Roman urban models and the new settlement patterns of the early medieval period.
In order to offer a key to understanding the phenomenon of urbes extinctae, different factors influencing change in settlement dynamics will be emphasized, on the basis of selected case studies where interdisciplinary and holistic approaches have been recently applied.

In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermined the structure of the Roman Empire. These changes initially affected only aspects of succession to the Princedom, especially involving the military sphere, but they also modified the social and structural organization of the Roman State.
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.

We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,

the Organizing commitee