Regional Identity and Urban Development in the Eastern Roman Provinces

In this episode, Chris Mielke speaks with Rubina Raja, the professor of Classical Archaeology at Aarhus University in Denmark, about her research of regional identities in the Roman Empire. First, the professor explains how archaeologists can study identities and what “Roman” really means for such studies. Rubina Raja also talks about the functions of the temples, objects, and city walls in urban landscapes and regional identities. In the second part of the interview, she describes her recent projects on four ancient cities in the Eastern provinces (Athens, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, and Jerash) and the archaeological discoveries, including funeral inscriptions, which contributed to understanding the concept of family in Roman and Early Medieval times. The discussion reveals whether the stereotype about indifferent parents is true and how important it was to have a family for survival in that period.  Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where Christopher Mielke casually discusses with his guests various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was first recorded and broadcast in 2013.