The site of medieval Euchaïta, on the northern edge of the central Anatolian plateau, was the centre of the cult of St Theodore Tiro ('the Recruit'). Unlike most excavated or surveyed urban centres of the Byzantine period, Euchaïta was never a major metropolis, cultural centre or extensive urban site, although it had a military function from the seventh to ninth centuries. Its significance lies precisely in the fact that as a small provincial town, something of a backwater, it was probably more typical of the 'average' provincial Anatolian urban settlement, yet almost nothing is known about such sites. This volume represents the results of a collaborative project that integrates archaeological survey work with other disciplines in a unified approach to the region both to enhance understanding of the history of Byzantine provincial society and to illustrate the application of innovative approaches to field survey.

The Byzantine world contained many important cities throughout its empire. Although it was not ‘urban’ in the sense of the word today, its cities played a far more fundamental role than those of its European neighbors. This book, through a collection of twenty-four chapters, discusses aspects of, and different approaches to, Byzantine urbanism from the early to late Byzantine periods. It provides both a chronological and thematic perspective to the study of Byzantine cities, bringing together literary, documentary, and archival sources with archaeological results, material culture, art, and architecture, resulting in a rich synthesis of the variety of regional and sub-regional transformations of Byzantine urban landscapes. Organized into four sections, this book covers: Theory and Historiography, Geography and Economy, Architecture and the Built Environment, and Daily Life and Material Culture. It includes more specialized accounts that address the centripetal role of Constantinople and its broader influence across the empire. Such new perspectives help to challenge the historiographical balance between ‘margins and metropolis,’ and also to include geographical areas often regarded as peripheral, like the coastal urban centers of the Byzantine Mediterranean as well as cities on islands, such as Crete, Cyprus, and Sicily which have more recently yielded well-excavated and stratigraphically sound urban sites. The Routledge Handbook of the Byzantine City provides both an overview and detailed study of the Byzantine city to specialist scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike and, therefore, will appeal to all those interested in Byzantine urbanism and society, as well as those studying medieval society in general.

Acta 46 comprises 64 articles. Out of the 120 scheduled lectures and posters presented at the 31st Congress of the Rei Cretariæ Romanæ Favtores, 61 are included in the present volume, to which three further were added. Given the location of the conference in Romania it seems natural that there is a particular focus on the Balkans and Danube.

Asia Minor is considered to have been a fairly prosperous region in Late Antiquity. It was rarely disturbed by external invasions and remained largely untouched by the continuous Roman-Persian conflict until very late in the period, was apparently well connected to the flourishing Mediterranean economy and, as the region closest to Constantinople, is assumed to have played an important part in the provisioning of the imperial capital and the imperial armies. When exactly this prosperity came to an end – the late sixth century, the early, middle or even later seventh century – remains a matter of debate. Likewise, the impact of factors such as the dust veil event of 536, the impact of the bubonic plague that made its first appearance in AD 541/542, the costs and consequences of Justinian’s wars, the Persian attacks of the early seventh century and, eventually the Arab incursions of around the middle of the seventh century, remains controversial. The more general living conditions in both cities and countryside have long been neglected. The majority of the population, however, did not live in urban but in rural contexts. Yet the countryside only found its proper place in regional overviews in the last two decades, thanks to an increasing number of regional surveys in combination with a more refined pottery chronology. Our growing understanding of networks of villages and hamlets is very likely to influence the appreciation of the last decades of Late Antiquity drastically. Indeed, it would seem that the sixth century in particular is characterized not only by a ruralization of cities, but also by the extension and flourishing of villages in Asia Minor, the Roman Near East, and Egypt. This volume's series of themes include the physical development of large and small settlements, their financial situation, and the proportion of public and private investment. Imperial, provincial, and local initiatives in city and countryside are compared and the main motivations examined, including civic or personal pride, military incentives, and religious stimuli. The evidence presented will be used to form opinions on the impact of the plague on living circumstances in the sixth century and to evaluate the significance of the Justinianic period.

This volume brings together the latest reports on archaeological projects, including excavation and survey, from all periods and every region of Anatolia. It is a forum in which scholars present their most recent data to a global audience, allowing for productive engagement with others working in and near Anatolia regarding discoveries and interpretations. The series offers a venue where recently concluded projects may provide an overview of results, often years ahead of the final publication of complete site reports. Published every two years, The Archaeology of Anatolia: Recent Discoveries series is an invaluable vehicle through which working archaeologists may carry out their most critical task: the presentation of their fieldwork and laboratory research in a timely fashion.

A one-of-a-kind exploration of archaeological evidence from the Roman Empire between 44 BCE and 337 CE In A Companion to the Archaeology of the Roman Empire, distinguished scholar and archaeologist Professor Barbara Burrell delivers an illuminating and wide-ranging discussion of peoples, institutions, and their material remains across the Roman Empire. Divided into two parts, the book begins by focusing on the “unifying factors,” institutions and processes that affected the entire empire. This ends with a chapter by Professor Greg Woolf, Ronald J. Mellor Professor of Ancient History at UCLA, which summarizes and enlarges upon the themes and contributions of the volume. Meanwhile, the second part brings out local patterns and peculiarities within the archaeological remains of the City of Rome as well as almost every province of its empire. Each chapter is written by a noted scholar whose career has focused on the subject. Chronological coverage for each chapter is formally 44 BCE to 337 CE, but since material remains are not always so closely datable, most chapters center on the first three centuries of the Common Era, plus or minus 50 years. In addition, the book is amply illustrated and includes new and little-known finds from oft-ignored provinces. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to the peoples and operations of the Roman Empire, including not just how the center affected the periphery ("Romanization") but how peripheral provinces operated on their own and among their neighbors Comprehensive explorations of local patterns within individual provinces Contributions from a diverse panel of leading scholars in the field A unique form of organization that brings out systems across the empire, such as transport across sea, rivers and roads; monetary systems; pottery and foodways; the military; construction and technology Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students of archaeology and the history of the Roman Empire, A Companion to the Archaeology of the Roman Empire will also earn a place in the libraries of professional archaeologists in other fields, including Mayanists, medievalists, and Far Eastern scholars seeking comparanda and bibliography on other imperial structures.