Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Anthropology

The Roman Empire sustained one of the longest and largest ruling powers in history, from the first century BC to the fourth century AD, through imperial programs of political and cultural assimilation. Prior to post-colonial reevaluations of historical colonization and imperialism, the Roman process of cultural integration (Romanization) was lauded as unidirectionally constructive and civilizing for the indigenous populations. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that indigenous populations in culturally- and politically-reconstituted regions of the early Roman Empire experienced diminished access to resources and, consequently, poorer physiological health relative to pre-Roman occupation populations. This research tests the hypothesis that Roman rule had similar detrimental effects on an indigenous community in the eastern Empire. I test the hypothesis via a bioarchaeological study of violence, physiological health, and dietary resource allocation. Critically applying a theoretical framework of structural violence to the analysis of skeletal remains from the Roman (AD 130-270) cemetery at Oymaagac, Turkey, this study investigates how Roman imperial rule impacted locally and regionally the indigenous populations of the Pontus. Because the indigenous populations of northern Anatolia assimilated to Roman imperial rule with little political and social restructuring, it is predicted that, relative to Western indigenous populations, limited or weak evidence of structural violence existed among this rural community. Operational variables of violence—traumatic lesions (fractures), diet (carious lesions, antemortem tooth loss, calculus, abscesses, and stable carbon and nitrogen ratios), childhood growth perturbations (linear enamel hypoplasias), non-specific infection (periosteal new bone and periodontal disease), and physical activity (osteoarthritis, rotator cuff disease, and intervertebral disc disease)—utilized in bioarchaeological studies are contextualized with (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Clark Larsen (Advisor); Mark Hubbe (Committee Member); Laurie Reitsema (Committee Member); Sam Stout (Committee Member) Subjects: Ancient Civilizations; Ancient History; Archaeology; Classical Studies; Epidemiology; Human Remains; Middle Eastern History; Pathology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Arts and Sciences: Classics

This dissertation focuses on the Roman city of Augusta Emerita, modern Merida, Spain, as a case study for understanding changes in the culture, economy, and society of Hispania in late antiquity. The evidence presented here shows that some of the major cultural shifts that appear in the archaeological record for the sixth and seventh centuries have their roots in the fourth century, when Emerita was still fully integrated into the Roman Empire. This evidence also shows that Visigothic period residents were driven by a different set of values and interests from those that inspired urban investment in the Roman period, while the wealthy Christian hierarchy was a key stabilizing force throughout the Late Antique period. A presentation of the physical setting and the infrastructure of the Roman city serves as the foundation for my analysis of the ancient city of Emerita. Public buildings were important venues for elite display, at times even receiving attention from provincial and imperial officials, especially in the early Roman period. In the Late Roman period, the class that had built the Roman face of the city was also instrumental in the de-Romanization of Emerita, by permitting or even participating in the deconstruction and privatization of the public monuments and spaces. For the Visigothic period, archaeological and textual evidence, including the Vitae Patrum Emeritensium, both point to shifting venues for elite investment, away from structures associated with traditional Roman identity to those associated with Christianity. The elite of Visigothic Emerita expressed and enhanced their status not through further contributions to the city's Roman identity, but through new contributions to the promotion of Christian ideals. My unprecedented analysis of the ceramic record from a cross-section of Emerita's late antique sites has allowed me to provide new insights into changing trade networks, dining habits, and the technology of pottery production. I have included (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter Van Minnen PhD (Committee Chair); Jack Davis PhD (Committee Member); Steven Ellis PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Arts and Sciences : Classics

When Pompey conquered Syria-Palestine in 64–63 B.C., the Nabataeans remained outside Rome's grasp. Although neighbors of the Hellenized world for some time, and in close contact with the Graeco-Roman cities of the Decapolis in the years leading up to A.D. 106, it was only after annexation that the Nabataeans officially came under the auspices of Roman control. When Trajan created from the Nabataean Kingdom around Petra the new Provincia Arabia (Arabia Petraea), life in the area was bound to change. Looking at the new provincial capital of Bostra, in southern Syria, and at Petra, the greatest Nabataean city, it is clear that alterations to the urban facades of the new province were made swiftly and continued to be made for some time. Monumental arches, Roman-style temples and public buildings, new roads, and a variety of civic spaces reshaped the urban hubs of the province. These overt expressions of Rome's newfound ascendancy are clear enough; but what about less visible aspects of the urban fabric? What happened when no-one was watching, and the goal was not to send a message of Rome's dominance, but rather to sustain life and facilitate its comforts in the best manner possible? Water systems in particular are an, if not the, essential part of every city's underpinnings, and an absolute sine qua non for life in the Near East. With the exception of the Romans' soaring, arched aqueducts, however, most water supply systems were unspectacular and relatively inconspicuous. This thesis examines such systems in three well-known centers of Nabataean and Roman life (Bostra, Petra, and Humayma), each belonging first to the Nabataean Kingdom and then the Province of Arabia, to determine the extent to which “Roman” methods of water-supply and management took root following the reconstitution of the area as a province. In some instances, it is clear that Roman engineering was imposed upon cities as new demands were placed upon civic water supply: Roman government officials, the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kathleen Lynch (Advisor) Subjects: Anthropology, Archaeology

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Arts and Sciences : Classics

This thesis aims to improve our understanding of cultural interaction in the Roman province of Dacia by examining one type of evidence from the provincial period: Roman-style stone funerary monuments. Past research on the Dacian funerary monuments has considered them to be evidence of Romanization. To indicate Romanization, however, funerary monuments must demonstrate a blending of Roman and indigenous cultures. A close examination of the Dacian examples in context shows that this was not the case in Roman Dacia. Dacian funerary monuments were set up by Romans, rather than natives, and show no signs of cultural blending. In light of this research, the Dacian stone funerary monuments should not be considered evidence of Romanization, but of attempted Roman Imperialism. These monuments emphasized the separation of Roman and native, and advertised Roman power in the face of constant threats – both internal and external – to Roman control.

Committee: Dr. Kathleen Lynch (Advisor) Subjects: