Frontier without borders: Romans and natives in the Upper Ebro Valley during the Roman Period (1st C. B.C.--7th C. A.D.) (Spain)

This dissertation examines the interaction between native and Roman cultures in the País Vasco of northern Spain after the Roman conquest. Goals for the study include charting the changes experienced by the region's inhabitants in the wake of Roman rule and assessing the relative influence of geographic, environmental, and social factors on the ways in which natives interacted with Roman culture. Through comparison with other peripheral areas of the Roman Empire, a model is generated that may be applicable to the study of the Roman provinces in general.; The first chapter reviews the history of the concepts of “Romanization” and frontiers, and attempts to chart a middle course between the view of Roman culture as an irresistible civilizing influence and the concept of native resistance to Romanization espoused by many authors. Chapter two looks at the inhabitants of the País Vasco prior to Roman rule, with an emphasis on the cultural mixing that took place in the region. The lack of strong geographical differences in wealth and material culture is particularly stressed. Chapters three through five deal with the evidence for cultural stratification and acculturation during the Early Roman Period (A.D. 35–250) in the areas of urban and rural settlement development, inscriptions, the economy, and trade. A spatial database or GIS is used to analyse settlement patterns, numismatic, epigraphic, and ceramic evidence. During the Roman period changes in communications routes, increased opportunities for agricultural exploitation, and new means of displaying social status transformed the País Vasco, leading to great geographical differences in wealth, society, and the economy. Parallels are drawn with peripheral areas of the Roman empire, such as Sardinia, Dalmatia, and other areas of northern Spain. Chapters six and seven discuss the changes the País Vasco experienced during late antiquity, as barbarian invasions and increasing regional isolation led to the formation of religious, linguistic, and political frontiers. Two appendices present the data used in constructing the spatial database.