| Description |
The Romano-British villa evolved under Roman rule in Britain. It is a; interesting assimilation ofIron Age and Roman culture. In most cases, the villa functioned as both an economic unit and as a symbol of social distinction. Unfortunately, the villa was poorly documented by ancient sources. In Roman Britain, the actual word villa was only used once. In order to understand more about the villa, including its inhabitants, it is necessary to look at ancient sources and modem archaeological reports. Looking at continental Roman documents is somewhat helpful in discerning what role the later Romano-British villa assumed in the Roman economy. Sources such as Vitruvius, Columella, and Pliny the Younger indicate that the villa was the central structure of an agricultural estate. In most cases, the owner of the estate lived; in the villa but may have also had an urban residence. In Britain, archaeological evidence indicates that the Romano-British villa also functioned as it did on the continent. In fact, the villa may have been used to Romanize the British Celts who lived under Roman authority. The architecture, art and interiors of the villa are indicative of this process ofRomanization. Mosaics often represent themes from Classical mythology and literature, and the comfort elements of the villa, such as heated floors and bath houses, are all evidence of adopted Roman ways. However, there is evidence that the villa and its land stayed within the families of the native British aristocracy. This pre-Roman society was composed of various tribes who held power in their respective regions. Many of the later villas evolved out of these;Iron-Age "county seats," literally being built over Celtic farmsteads. In order to understand the position of the villa in Roman Britain, it is essential to look at the relationship of the villa with the towns as they provided a ready market for the; agricultural surplus that the villas produced. Many modem sources have studied this relationship in order to learn more about the villa, and it appears conclusive that as villas' distance from towns increased, their relative size and prosperity decreased. |
