JOSHEL, Sandra R., and L. HACKWORTH PETERSEN,
The Material Life of Roman Slaves.
Cambridge University Press, New York, 2015. 1st paperback ed. XVI,XVI,286p. Richly ills.(B&W as well as full colour photogrpahs and line drawings). Paperback. How you can make visible those who left no distinctive traces in the archaeological record? This is Sandra Joshel’s and Lauren Hackworth Petersen’s central question. In their book they develop strategies to reconstruct slaves’ lives and experiences in their living and working contexts. In four chapters they make slaves visible: in the house (chapter 2, p. 24–86), in the city streets (chapter 3, p. 87–117), in the workshops (chapter 4, p. 118–161), and in the villa (chapter 5, p. 162–213). Above all, the book examines small and large houses in Pompeii and Herculaneum, the streets of Pompeii, shops and workplaces of Pompeii and Ostia, and villae at the countryside and the seaside. Beside the archaeological record, the authors refer to works on Roman agriculture as well as satirical and legal texts. (...) The book is not only a highly welcome contribution to the archaeology of Roman slavery - a still underrepresented field of research - but also an original and innovative study in the field of cultural geography and cultural theory. (...) Overall, this book will outline new ways of research for cultural scientists as well as those working on the archaeology of slavery. It is to the credit of Sandra Joshel and Lauren Hackworth Petersen - both specialists in the history and archaeology of Roman slavery - to have made visible slaves in the archaeological records as well as in scholarly literature.' (ANDREA BINSFELD in Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2016.01.07).
€ 42.50
(New)