Book dossier

Territory, time, and state

by Caroline Malone, Simon Stoddart

Territory, time and state is a study of long-term archaeological history in the remote and beautiful upland Valley of Gubbio within the Umbrian Apennines of Italy. The aim of the work is to understand a human landscape that is well defined by the natural constraints of this mountainous region. The authors have developed a multidisciplinary approach to study the human and physical characteristics of the valley from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period. They integrate the analysis of a unique text (the Iguvine Tables) with excavation, field survey and environmental reconstruction to provide a synthesis of current knowledge. They break boundaries of time and tradition which are normally compartmentalised between different scholars. Although the linkage is sometimes controversial, it is always stimulating. The book has two major focuses: the first is on the Bronze Age landscape where spectacular sites and finds have contributed very significantly to our knowledge of pre-state Italy; and the second is on the identity and character of the early city state of Gubbio and its incorporation into the Roman world.