Natural cave usage in the Late Roman Empire. Shelter in times of instability?
In 2014 we began an ambitious study of the usage of natural caves in between first and fifth centuries AD in the area between the Ebro and the Pyrenees (Navarre, Basque Country, and northern Aragon). The aim was to make an inventory of all natural caves with Roman remains in the western Pyrenees in...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Munibe Antropologia-Arkeologia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.aranzadi.eus/fileadmin/docs/Munibe/maa20227307.pdf |
| Summary: | In 2014 we began an ambitious study of the usage of natural caves in between first and fifth centuries AD in the area between the Ebro and the Pyrenees (Navarre, Basque Country, and northern Aragon). The aim was to make an inventory of all natural caves with Roman remains in the western Pyrenees in a database, to clarify the chronology of different cave usages thanks to the study of the archaeological material, to establish the function of those kinds of sites, and finally, to put into relation the caves with their surroundings in the cases that it is possible. In this article, we analyse a disputed subject in the historiography of this phenomenon: the possible use of the caves as shelter in times of instability during the Low Empire period. This interpretation has been repeated since the 70s of the 20th century until today, despite the inexistence of clear evidence.
RESUMEN: En 2014 iniciamos un ambicioso estudio sobre el uso de las cuevas naturales entre los siglos I y V d.C. en el espacio comprendido entre el Ebro y los Pirineos (Navarra, País Vasco y norte de Aragón). El objetivo era inventariar todas las cuevas naturales con restos romanos en el Pirineo occidental, aclarar la cronología de los diferentes usos de las cuevas gracias al estudio del material arqueológico, establecer la función de ese tipo de emplazamientos y, finalmente, tratar de poner en relación las cuevas con su entorno, en los casos que es posible. En este artículo analizamos un tema controvertido en la historiografía de este fenómeno: el posible uso de las cuevas como refugio en tiempos de inestabilidad durante el Bajo Imperio. Esta interpretación se ha repetido desde los años 70 del siglo XX hasta la actualidad, a pesar de la inexistencia de pruebas claras. |
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| ISSN: | 1132-2217 2172-4555 |