Carolynn Roncaglia (Santa Clara U.) - Epigraphy in Val d'Aosta

Roman inscriptions from alpine and sub-alpine contexts are relatively rare, which makes the study of local societies in these areas more difficult. Social mobility, family structure, and euergetism all become harder to track without significant numbers of inscriptions.  This talk uses the corpus of Roman-era inscriptions from the val d'Aosta in northwestern Italy to explore the limits and possibilities of working with these small collections of inscriptions from Alpine valleys. In doing so the talk addresses the importance of Alpine valleys and passes in controlling both movement and viewership, the influence of Augustan monuments and colonies, and the continuation of Bronze and Iron Age commemorative sites and practices in the Roman Alps.

About the speaker:  Carolynn Roncaglia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at Santa Clara University. Her research interests include Latin epigraphy, material culture, and Roman history. Her current book project explores the development of northern Italy from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity.