Ignasi Grau Mira

Urban Landscapes in Iron Age Iberia provides an up-to-date synthesis on the urbanism of Iron Age hillforts and oppida of Iberia. The emergence of large and complex fortified settlements is a characteristic phenomenon of the period between the Late Iron Age and the expansion of the Roman Empire (4th–1st centuries BC) in extensive areas of Central and Western Europe. In this geographical context the Iberian Peninsula has a key position between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. A vast Spanish and Portuguese scientific literature has revealed a very diverse scenario with different paths for the development of complex urbanism, in some cases presenting clear alternatives to the Mediterranean models introduced by Phoenician-Punic, Greek, and Roman influence. The book integrates a series of novel contributions from across Iberian archaeology, with an explicit examination of urban structures using a rigorous multidisciplinary approach. Together they demonstrate the potential value and relevance of archaeological data for Urbanization Studies.

This Element revisits the historiographical and archaeological paradigms of Roman rural economies, with a particular focus on the peasant communities of Roman Iberia. Traditionally overshadowed by the dominance of the villa schiavistica model, which centers on large-scale slave-operated agricultural estates, recent interdisciplinary research has unveiled the complexity and persistence of peasant economies. By integrating data from archaeological surveys, rescue excavations, and textual analyses, this volume highlights the significance of dispersed settlements, small-scale farms, and sustainable agrarian strategies that defined the peasant landscape. Case studies from diverse sectors of the Iberian Peninsula demonstrate diverse modes of land use, such as intensive cultivation, crop rotation, and manuring, which contrast with the economic assumptions tied to elite-dominated production models. Furthermore, the author explores Roman peasants' socio-economic structures and adaptive strategies, emphasizing their pivotal role in shaping landscapes. This Element advocates for reexamining Roman peasantries as active and complex agents in ancient history.