+- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com)
+-- Forum: Culture (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-49.html)
+--- Forum: History (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-117.html)
+--- Thread: Research Roman 'backwater' challenges history of the ancient empire's decline (/thread-15093.html)
Roman 'backwater' challenges history of the ancient empire's decline - C C - Dec 12, 2023
https://www.newsweek.com/roman-backwater-challenges-history-ancient-empire-decline-study-archaeology-1851457
EXCERPT: . . . The findings at the site buck the generally accepted view of the empire's decline, according to the researchers. In the third century, the empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressure of invasion, civil war, plague and economic crisis, but problems had manifested even earlier.
"Italy is often understood to have experienced a precocious decline within the empire—political, economic and even demographic—already in the second century A.D., losing its prominence to the advantage of the provinces," Launaro said.
He continued: "We believe Interamna to have in fact adapted to those new conditions, building on a solid network of local political, social and economic relationships, whose existence preceded, continued and, to a point, outlasted the rise and fall of the Roman Empire."
"As this town was unlikely to be special, we think this may give us a better view of how other communities in Italy—and maybe across the empire later on, more generally—may have adapted and even thrived in the face of new and challenging conditions," he said.... (MORE - missing details)
PRESS RELEASES BELOW (no ads)
Cambridge University: https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/interamna-lirenas-roman-backwater-bucked-empires-decline
Eurekalert: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1010264