In this monograph, Pitts offers a masterclass response to the ‘big-data challenge’ in Roman archaeology. Capitalising on the massive amount of finds data now available to researchers from over a century of archaeological investigation, Pitts probes the dynamics of early Roman era social change through the lens of portable objects, their stylistic innovations, distributions, contexts and recurrent combinations. This ambitious study synthesises over 80,000 artefact records dating from c. 120/100 b.c. to a.d. 100/120 from sites spanning six modern nations (Belgium, France, Germany, England, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, corresponding to Gallia Belgica, Britannia and Germania Inferior) in order to trace patterns of mass consumption which push beyond traditional provincial borders. Multi-scalar interrogation of the data results in new insights into the nature of individual assemblages as well as wider intra-, inter- and pan-regional networks. Pitts’ exploratory study especially considers the nature and impact of changes that relate to the boom in circulating standardised objects, a phenomenon that he dubs ‘the Roman object revolution’.
The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the data set, methodology, key terms and theoretical concepts that anchor the study, including ‘objectscapes’, a term that emphasises ‘the relational properties of mobile standardised objects in a wider connected milieu, by considering the objects available’ (p. 14), as well as the concept of an ‘inter-artefactual domain’, borrowed from the field of art history, that conceives of stylistic change over time as referential and contingent upon the encountering of alternative artefact styles. Throughout the course of the monograph, both concepts successfully ground what are sometimes complex artefact patterns and allow Pitts to weave a sophisticated narrative which considers both object- and human-agency.
Chapters 2–5 build up a picture of the varied objectscapes of north-west Europe during the two centuries in which this area was formally integrated into the Roman imperial network. In order to assess changing objectscapes in the short- and long-term, each chapter covers a successive sub-period: chapter 2 focuses on the later Iron Age material (c. 120–20 b.c.); chapter 3 considers Augustan-Tiberian deposits (c. 20 b.c. to a.d. 40); chapter 4 is dedicated to Claudio-Neronian objectscapes (c. a.d. 40–70); and chapter 5 closes the study with Flavian era developments (c. a.d. 70–120).
Although there is some variation in the content included (depending on the nature of the available data), each chapter generally covers the same major themes: regional objectscapes, funerary objectscapes, developments in standardised objects and the various ways these standardised forms populate objectscapes. These themes may seem convoluted and overlapping, but the chapters do read logically when consumed in full. As the author is primarily focused on the phenomenon of object-standardisation in the Roman period, each chapter highlights, in particular, changing trends in highly standardised artefact classes, including Roman finewares (i.e. terra sigillata, thin-walled wares and Gallo-Belgic wares) and types of fibulae that display a wide distribution across the Roman north-west (e.g. Nauheim and Hod Hill types). The author is heavily reliant upon funerary records, due to their completeness, and, at points, metrics for grouping materials seem over-arbitrary (e.g. ‘ranking’ richly furnished graves), although it does not seem that these choices have greatly impacted conclusions. The results of Pitts’ systematic queries form the basis for convincing arguments against outdated ‘Romanisation’ models to explain changes to artefacts and consumption patterns in the provinces, conclusions that are summarised and expanded upon in chapter 6.
Despite the complex nature of the queried data, which often tracks patterns in the relationships between artefact types in assemblages over time and geographic area, Pitts relays the content clearly without compromising detail, even if this often requires extensive commentary and repetition of important points. Close reading is not only rewarded but necessary, especially in sections relating to the correspondence analyses (CA). The strengths of the analytical method certainly outweigh its weaknesses; unfortunately, even Pitts admits that CA plots are not intuitive to read and comprehend. Readers are thus heavily (perhaps overly) reliant on the interpretation and explanation of the author. The increasing use of CA in finds research like this study suggests that the modern Roman-finds scholar should consider making friends with the statistical technique (or at least forming a genial acquaintance). Handily, chapter 1 provides a useful introduction, which is worth a read in its own right. Good-quality images throughout the text, including charts, graphs, archaeological illustrations and colour plates, are also crucial to aid reader comprehension, especially those readers who do not identify as pottery or small-finds specialists.
Ultimately, this volume showcases the capacity for synthetic, contextual and artefact-centred studies to refine knowledge of social practice in the Roman provinces. It would serve as a useful guide for others studying increasingly large and varied data sets. Indeed, a challenge for future researchers will be revising and expanding the narratives presented in this monograph as more data enter the known archaeological record. But, as this monograph shows, in big data there is big potential.
