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Posted by up4tea (U3248772) on Friday, 17th February 2006
I'd be quite interested if someone could help me find out a bit about the lifestyle of the Romans in Britain. For example, would their villas here have been built according to the same style/plan (w/a central courtyard)as in Mediterranean regions, or were they more enclosed due to colder wetter weather? Also any info on their "common" diets, links to informative sites etc all greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Hi up4tea
Most of the british villas developed from farm types houses apart from the huge mega villas like Fishbourne Palace. As such most are more of a u shape rather than the enclosed peristyle courtyard. There are some outstanding example to visit such as Chedworth in Gloucestershire and at Butser nr Southhampton there is a reconstructed villa.
As regards heating it britain the old hypocaust was very important. As you prob know this is the underfloor heating system. In many british villas this is extended up thru' the walls as well. Must have been as warm as Vulcan's tool.
Cheers
Lobus
the old archaeologist joke is the man who stoked the fire for the heating was the 'fornicater'...
Seriously, there are lots of information on Roman villas around, although whether they are all villas is open to question. Richard Reece wrote a book called 'My Roman Britain', which talks abot 'TCV's' (Things called villas). But we have to be careful about whether must people lived in Britain in villas at all. Villas are a catchall name given often to farmsteads and the like. The further out into the countryside and the further down the social scale you go, the smaller and less villa like the structures are. Most people changed slowly into 'Roman Britains', and this goes for their living arrangements, lifestyles etc. My guess is that Rome missed a lot of natives in lots of ways, and often people only used what they found useful.
I'd be quite interested if someone could help me find out a bit about the lifestyle of the Romans in Britain. For example, would their villas here have been built according to the same style/plan (w/a central courtyard)as in Mediterranean regions, or were they more enclosed due to colder wetter weather? Also any info on their "common" diets, links to informative sites etc all greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much. Β
If you would like information on Roman/Britain.
Visit www.Britannia.com
Thank you General Lobus! That is the type of info I'm after.
Thank you DocMike, I will have a look for that Richard Reece book (if you recommend it?)
Thank you General Lobus! That is the type of info I'm after.Β
My pleasure.
Just to warn you the Richard Reece's book is actually a book on philosphy pretending to be a book on Roman Britain! Still, it really makes you think (he was a lecturer of mine, and he made you look at things from different angles). There are also loads of other stuf on RB daily life, and the Romarch site is great.
well a philosophical approach to Romano British history is, IMO, better than a military overview...so I may have a look for it
thanks again
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