Books by Stefano Cespa
Il volume ha come oggetto i sistemi di approvvigionamento idrico dell'antica città di Nora. Esso ... more Il volume ha come oggetto i sistemi di approvvigionamento idrico dell'antica città di Nora. Esso si propone di fornire un quadro esaustivo e particolareggiato riguardo a tipologie di strutture fondamentali per la vita del centro, in un arco cronologico compreso tra la prima età punica e l'età tardoantica.
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Papers by Stefano Cespa
Shima, 2022
Historical ‘island encyclopaedias’ (isolarii, islarios, ‘de insulis’) and their predecessors (Nes... more Historical ‘island encyclopaedias’ (isolarii, islarios, ‘de insulis’) and their predecessors (Nesiotikà, peripli) were predominately written by authors of the Mediterranean region from the 7th century BCE to the 17th century CE.2 In this article, we first present an overview of these sources geared towards an Island Studies readership and next consider two main questions: First, how was knowledge about islands produced in the past? And second, can these historical sources motivate new questions for future research? The Balearic Islands have been selected to investigate these questions due to their long history of settlements and trade networks, which prompted their inclusion in many encyclopaedias. In addition, local archaeological and historical sources permit a comparison of emic and etic perspectives. Topics of analysis include descriptions of geography, cultural customs and resource use (including oil, wine, animals, salt, and freshwater), each selected with a view to future comparative studies.
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R. Bockmann, H. Ben Romdhane, F. Schön, I. Fumadó Ortega and M. Broisch, with coll. S. Cespa, E.Jerray, B. Maraoui-Telmini, N. Röring, Y. Sghaier & H. Topfer, The SW quarter of Carthage and its main monument: new results on ... in Humphrey, J. (ed.), For the love of Carthage, JRA suppl. 109, 2020 , 2020
Although Carthage was the second city in the W Mediterranean from the 2nd c. A.D. onwards, we kno... more Although Carthage was the second city in the W Mediterranean from the 2nd c. A.D. onwards, we know comparatively little about its urban development and layout. The present chapter presents the first full results from a cooperation between the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Rome and the Institut du Patrimoine (INP) in Tunis on the SW quarter of Carthage, which holds great potential for studying the organisation and evolution of urban space, its functional transformations, economic development, and changes in population density.
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Στην υγειά μας. Studi in omaggio a Giorgio Bejor, 2020
The search for water has been always a primary task in creation and planning of every stable and ... more The search for water has been always a primary task in creation and planning of every stable and enduring human settlement. For this reason, people had to develop systems that would guarantee water supply, even in areas where water was not necessarily present in abundance. This situation is clear in particular in areas characterized by an arid or semi-arid climate, where rainfall is limited and irregular and surface or underground water resources are scarce. This brief overview describes the evolution of water supply solutions in some important case studies of the central-southern Mediterranean. Over the centuries, due to the expansion of urban centers, to the demographic increase, to the enlarge of production systems and, last but not least, to climatic variations, the initial water supply systems had to increase and evolve towards better developed forms.
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Analysis Archaeologica 5, 2020
The paper presents the first results of a new research project of the University of Tübingen on t... more The paper presents the first results of a new research project of the University of Tübingen on the elaborate fortification system of the Punic-Roman Acropolis of Cossyra (Pantelleria). The hill on which the site stands was defended throughout its history by at least two circles of walls, bulwarks, elevated terraces and fortified gateways. These monumental works were sometimes an integral part of the extensive urbanization project of the ancient city, together with the road system and other public infrastructures; sometimes, nevertheless, they changed its appearance, even dramatically. In these evidences, we can recognize the echoes of the alternating war events that characterized this area of the Mediterranean between the end of the 4th century BC and the 1st century BC.
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Libyan studies 49, 2018
The paper presents first results of a joint German-Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia... more The paper presents first results of a joint German-Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia. Archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken (preceded by a geophysical survey) in the southwestern quarter of the ancient city to study the architecture, chronology and urban context of the circus. The area has, unlike the rest of Carthage, not been targeted by excavations of the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries and, also unlike the rest of Carthage, is mostly not overbuilt, although under pressure from neighbouring communities. The area is the last one allowing a large-scale diachronic urban study in which the circus and its impact on the quarter is in the centre. From our first results, we can date the beginning of the construction of the circus to the late first century AD, with interventions in the early third century and usage continuing into the sixth. We were able to define the extension of the northern cavea and to study the western part of the spina and identify the meta at this point. Information has been obtained on early Roman, pre-circus use of the area as well as data on the Punic phases. Sixth-and seventh-century levels are also well preserved.
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The study of Punic and Roman water supply systems in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean) has develop... more The study of Punic and Roman water supply systems in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean) has developed significantly over the last few decades of research. Due to the particular climatic conditions, the problem of water supply in the island has always been strongly felt. Water management systems were therefore of vital importance in the organization of private and public spaces in antiquity. Methods of planning and construction became quite precise, as did systems for control and maintenance; their use and evolution over the centuries could be seen in relation to expansion of urban centers and to demographic increase, to higher urban living standards, to enlarge of production systems and, maybe, to climatic variations. The purpose of this article is to provide a comparative overview of the most significant
urban areas of Sardinia during the Punic and Roman period. The description of water works (wells, cisterns, tanks, channels), of techniques of water usage, of construction technologies, also with regards on public buildings directly fed by them, will give a comprehensive framework regarding these fundamental types of
structures.
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The paper presents first results of a joint German–Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia... more The paper presents first results of a joint German–Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia. Archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken (preceded by a geophysical survey) in the southwestern quarter of the ancient city to study the architecture, chronology and urban context of the circus. The area has, unlike the rest of Carthage, not been targeted by excavations of the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries and, also unlike the rest of Carthage, is mostly not overbuilt, although under pressure from neighbouring communities. The area is the last one allowing a large-scale diachronic urban study in which the circus and its impact on the quarter is in the centre. From our first results, we can date the beginning of the construction of the circus to the late first century AD, with interventions in the early third century and usage continuing into the sixth. We were able to define the extension of the northern cavea and to study the western part of the spina and identify the meta at this point. Information has been obtained on early Roman, pre-circus use of the area as well as data on the Punic phases. Sixth-and seventh-century levels are also well preserved.
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The paper presents first results of a joint German–Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia... more The paper presents first results of a joint German–Tunisian research project in Carthage, Tunisia. Archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken (preceded by a geophysical survey) in the southwestern quarter of the ancient city to study the architecture, chronology and urban context of the circus. The area has, unlike the rest of Carthage, not been targeted by excavations of the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries and, also unlike the rest of Carthage, is mostly not overbuilt, although under pressure from neighbouring communities. The area is the last one allowing a large-scale diachronic urban study in which the circus and its impact on the quarter is in the centre. From our first results, we can date the beginning of the construction of the circus to the late first century AD, with interventions in the early third century and usage continuing into the sixth. We were able to define the extension of the northern cavea and to study the western part of the spina and identify the meta at this point. Information has been obtained on early Roman, pre-circus use of the area as well as data on the Punic phases. Sixth-and seventh-century levels are also well preserved.
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L’Africa Romana XIX, Atti del Convegno di Sassari (dicembre 2010), Roma, pp. 2543-2576, 2012
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CESPA S., Case a mare: problemi di ridocumentazione e scavo, in “LANX”, 14 (2013), pp. 210-222.
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BONETTO J., CESPA S., ERDAS R., Approvvigionamento idrico a Nora: nuovi dati sulle cisterne, in L’Africa Romana XIX, Roma 2012, pp. 2591-2624.
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BONETTO J., BERTO S., CESPA S., Il Tempio romano. Il saggio PS1. Campagne di scavo 2010-2011, in Quaderni Norensi 4, Padova 2012, pp. 201-220.
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PORRO C., CESPA S., MEVIO S., Campagna di scavo 2011: le Piccole Terme, maggio-giugno 2011, in Quaderni Norensi 4, Padova 2012, pp. 41-53.
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Talks & Presentations 2018 by Stefano Cespa
Abstract: Situated half way between Tunisia and Sicily, the island of Pantelleria is for strategi... more Abstract: Situated half way between Tunisia and Sicily, the island of Pantelleria is for strategic reasons an ideal staging post to control the Strait of Sicily. In the context of Phoenician expansion into the Western Mediterranean, the Island was populated during the 8th century BC by western Phoenician settlers. The material culture of this period shows close connections to Carthage. During the middle and late Punic period, Pantelleria was highly involved in the conflicts fought by Carthage first against Syracuse, later against Rome. According to the archaeological evidence, the island community responded to these ‘global’ conflicts with the construction of impressive – still well preserved – fortification works. This paper will focus on recent archaeological excavations conducted by Tuebingen University in collaboration with the Soprintendenza BB.CC.AA. di Trapani to understand the chronological and urban development of the fortifications in the so-called Acropolis area, a hillside connected to the main settlement and harbor of the island.
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Talks & Presentations 2019 by Stefano Cespa
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forthcoming by Stefano Cespa
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Books by Stefano Cespa
Papers by Stefano Cespa
urban areas of Sardinia during the Punic and Roman period. The description of water works (wells, cisterns, tanks, channels), of techniques of water usage, of construction technologies, also with regards on public buildings directly fed by them, will give a comprehensive framework regarding these fundamental types of
structures.
Talks & Presentations 2018 by Stefano Cespa
Talks & Presentations 2019 by Stefano Cespa
forthcoming by Stefano Cespa
urban areas of Sardinia during the Punic and Roman period. The description of water works (wells, cisterns, tanks, channels), of techniques of water usage, of construction technologies, also with regards on public buildings directly fed by them, will give a comprehensive framework regarding these fundamental types of
structures.
Date: May 4-6, 2023
Venue: Museu de Mallorca, Carrer de la Portella, 5, 07001 Palma
La quarta edizione di Landscape: una sintesi elementi diacronici mira ad approfondire queste tematiche, con l’auspicio di offrire una panoramica generale sullo stato attuale della ricerca.