Uncovering a masterpiece of Roman engineering: The project of Via Appia between Colle Pardo and Terracina

Magli, Giulio; Realini, Eugenio; Reguzzoni, Mirko; Sampietro, Daniele

doi:10.1016/j.culher.2013.11.014

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…17 De La Blanchère, 1884; Cancellieri, 1985Cancellieri, , 1990 De Haas, 2011: 210-213. 19 Peterson, 1992. Magli et al (2014a, 2014b suggest that both practical and symbolic factors explain the orientation of the grid and its peculiar relation to the Via Appia.…”

Section: The Centuriation: Characteristics and Historical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing the marshes: An integrated study of the centuriated landscape of the Pontine plain

Haas

2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: The Centuriation: Characteristics and Historical Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing the marshes: An integrated study of the centuriated landscape of the Pontine plain

Haas

2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In this last case, orientations might have been obtained by direct observation of astronomical phenomena. One example would be the orientation of Via Appia, where it seems that the Romans chose the setting of the star Castor as the direction where the via should face instead of the use of a simple fraction (1/1) (Magli et al 2014). In this scenario, it is difficult to discern in cases where:…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World

Magli¹,

González-García²,

Aviles³

et al. 2019

Historical &Amp; Cultural Astronomy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several works have tried either to demonstrate or reject the notion that the orientation of the main axis of a Roman city was deliberate since its choice might add an extra sacred dimension to the entire urban space Magli 2008). There exist ancient texts that support the hypothesis of the existence of astronomical orientations, such as those of Frontinus (De Agrimmensura, 27) or Hyginus Gromaticus (Constitutio,I). In the case that these precepts were fulfilled: how to achieve it? Besides the astronomical hypothesis, some scholars have pointed to the use of a geometrical technique: the uaratio (Orfila et al. 2014). By this, the short sides of a regular triangle that are in ratios of integer numbers (for example 1:2, 2:3) are laid along the cardinal axes. In this work we present a comparison of the orientation of 81 Roman towns in the Iberian Peninsula, measured in situ, with uaratio angles with aspect ratios up to 12:12. By this exercise we want to discern whether the orientations were astronomical, purely geometrical, or if geometry could have fostered astronomical aims by using selected and well-known angles to trace lines that fitted the desired astronomical purposes. It is then, an attempt to shed more light to the issue of the orientation of Roman towns by combining two hypotheses that, in contrast to what it might seem, could be complementary but not contrary.

show abstract

“…See Bagnasco et al (2013) for a recent account on how these texts might be related to the orientation of the sanctuary of Tarquinia. 28 Bertarione and Magli (2015); Esteban (2003b); Espinosa-Espinosa and González-García (2017); Ferro and Magli (2012); García Quintela and González-García (2014: 157-177); González-García and García Quintela (2014); Magli (2008: 63-71); Magli et al (2014); Rodríguez-Antón (2017). 29 For instance, in the Neo-Pythagorean basilica in Porta Maggiore, the Mausoleo degli Equinozi in the Via Appia (De Franceschini 2012), the Pantheon (Hannah and Magli 2011) and Adrian's mausoleum (De Franceschini and Veneziano 2015).…”

Section: Au2mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mausoleum of Theodoric: Archaeoastronomy, Numbers, Geometry and Communication

Incerti

Lavoratti

Iurilli

2019

Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

the 39 material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, 40 broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information 41 storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology 42 now known or hereafter developed. 43 The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication 44 does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant 45 protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. 46 The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this 47 book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or 48 the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any 49 errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional 50 claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. 51 This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG 52 The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland 53 Foreword 54 Past societies-not only during prehistory-made gods of celestial bodies and 55 phenomena, including them in their mythological narratives and linking them not 56only to atmospheric events and seasonal cycles but also to important social institu-57 tions and the destiny of men. 1 Early on in the history of archaeology, some 58 researchers, especially astronomers but also anthropologists and prehistorians, 59 began suggesting that some archaeological remains (especially prehistoric ones) 60 could be measured and examined in order to explore potential alignments with 61 celestial phenomena. This, they claimed, would improve our understanding of the 62 symbolic universe of the groups and societies that built these monuments. In time, 63 this developed into an interdisciplinary subject of study, half way between astron-64 omy and the social sciences. 2 Different terms have been put forward to refer to the 65 discipline, including archaeoastronomy (E. Ch. Baity; M. Hoskin), astroarchaeology 66 (Hawkins 1973), the history of astronomy and ethnoastronomy; more recently, 67 S. Iwaniszewski (1997) and C. Ruggles (1999, 2001) proposed an all-embracing 68 term, cultural astronomy (which can accommodate both the history of astronomy 69 and ethnoastronomical traditions). This discipline examines how, throughout his-70 tory, humans have oriented themselves in time and space through the observation of 71 celestial bodies (Belmonte 2009: 58). 72 Within the field of cultural astronomy (Iwaniszewski 2009: 30), archaeoastron-73 omy has been characterised by a lasting and intense debate around the discipline's 74 very definition and methodological orientation. In recent decades, some degree of 1 See, for instan...

show abstract

Uncovering a masterpiece of Roman engineering: The project of Via Appia between Colle Pardo and Terracina

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Managing the marshes: An integrated study of the centuriated landscape of the Pontine plain

Managing the marshes: An integrated study of the centuriated landscape of the Pontine plain

Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World

The Mausoleum of Theodoric: Archaeoastronomy, Numbers, Geometry and Communication

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About