Abstract
We know of two major cities in Roman Corsica, the colonies of Aleria and Mariana, which fell into disuse rather suddenly, and whose ruins are now buried under acres of meadows. A few shipwrecks dot the coastline, reflecting the intense trade that read in the Mediterranean, but not a lasting presence on the Tyrrhenian coast. Fieldwork in the countryside remains very limited, due to the often impenetrable vegetation and particularly steep relief. Consequently, in the absence of relevant archaeological sources, the theme of the spread of the Roman villa has received very little attention in historiography, despite its heuristic value.
This presentation aims to provide an overview of the current situation, and to highlight the specific features of the forms of occupation in the second Roman province. Based on recent excavations, it will attempt to describe the organization of several rural settlements whose economy was based, at least in part, on vine cultivation and wine production.
This research highlights contrasting trajectories, with certain processes leading to lasting settlements, but also to premature abandonment or sudden withdrawal. The presentation will examine the possible causes and modalities of a thwarted Roman colonization.
Gaël Brkojewitsch
With a doctorate in archaeology, Gaël Brkojewitsch is a territorial archaeologist with the Metz Eurometropole's preventive archaeology department, and a research associate under contract with the Centre Camille-Jullian (UMR 7299, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS and the French Ministry of Culture). A specialist in the Roman period in the western Mediterranean, he is studying several villae in the Aléria area (Haute-Corse) and at Piantarella (Corse-du- Sud), and is coordinating a collective research project on the Roman occupation of the Bouches de Bonifacio. In Moselle, he has directed some sixty archaeological operations in both rural and urban settings.
