Houses and Society in Roman Celtiberia

Abstract

This article aims to analyse Roman domestic spaces excavated in the region of Celtiberia in central Spain. The main goal is to identify the relationship between social patterns and the spatial configuration of houses. The application of different space syntax methods (accessibility, relative asymmetry, and control value) is the principal means of analysis. This procedure allows us to identify some spatial patterns linked with different patterns of domestic behaviour. In addition, we propose a review of the local epigraphic evidence as a basis for an analysis of the relation between family structures and citizen status in Roman Celtiberia. Inspired by the comparison of the two kinds of evidence, we have also developed an interpretative approach to explain the uneven introduction of Roman models of domestic architecture in some specific sectors of local society.