Building a new Rome, eds. E.K. Gazda, D.Y.Ng & Ü. Demirer (book review)

Abstract

Building a new Rome: The imperial colony of Pisidian Antioch (25 BC-AD 700) is an anthology from the Kelsey Museum, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The book is the result of a joint project between Ünal Demirer, the director of the Yalvaç Museum who currently conducts excavations at Pisidian Antioch, and a graduate seminar at the University of Michigan and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology directed by Elaine K. Gazda. The book therefore comprises both the results of new archaeological fieldwork and gives considerable attention to the archive material from the University of Michigan's expedition to Pisidian Antioch in the 1920s. The nucleus of the Michigan project has been to provide virtual 3D renditions of the architectural remains, which have been conducted at the UM3D Lab at Michigan. 1 Building a new Rome begins with a foreword by Demirer followed by a preface and introduction to the project by the editors. Six case studies follow, on selected architectural contexts focusing on the urban infrastructure as well as the religious and civic buildings of the city (Chapters 2-7). There are two additional chapters dealing with the indigenous cult of the lunar deity Mên (Chapter 8), and a survey of the making of the virtual model of Pisidian Antioch (Chapter 9). The book ends with an appendix listing the archive material held at the University of Michigan. An additional video disc features a virtual tour of the city and the extramural sanctuary of Mên Askaênos, which is located about 3.5 km further to the southeast. 1 Cf. http://um3d.dc.umich.edu. At a first glance of this generously illustrated book, the ruins of Pisidian Antioch seem to project a marvel of architectural grandeur, which initially appears to me like a unique Anatolian wonder, well in line with the grand heading "Building a new Rome". Yet, in the aftermath of the initial excitement, it is sobering to recall that Pisidian Antioch was one of perhaps 100 monumental cityscapes of central Anatolia during the period of study (25 BC-AD 700). Still, far too few sites have been published and the innovative architectural design of Anatolia in the Roman period deserves more attention. When studying the examples of Pisidian Antioch, for instance the Arch of Hadrian and Sabina, we see a hybrid construction in a seemingly dynamic movement in the midst of Italian, Roman concepts and regional workmanship and crafting traditions. It is therefore books like Building a new Rome that need to be integrated in the new encyclopaedias of ancient architecture in order to give a much desired nuance to the old, well-known (and almost canonized) examples of the Roman architectural repertoire. The Imperial Sanctuary is analysed in Chapter 2 by Benjamin Rubin. It has proven to be a noteworthy case study that relates to the dynamics between political centre and periphery. Apart from reconstructing the architectural remains of the temple, propylon, and colonnaded square, the Imperial Cult and its role within a colonial identity are discussed. In 25 BC, Emperor Augustus dispatched a colony of Ro...