Abstract:

Recent research in the Ager Tarraconensis Project (PAT) has added considerably to our knowledge of late antiquity in the territorium of Tarraco, that had already been partially studied in my doctoral thesis (1992), which also studied other areas near Tarragona not included in the PAT. Moreover, in recent years we have also had the occasion to make a partial study of the ancient settlement in the area of the Ebro River and the north of Valencia, particularly in the territories of Alto Palancia and La Plana de Castelló. Together, these studies allow us to consider an overview of the settlements in late antiquity in an area corresponding to the southern coastal province of the former provincia Tarraconensis, thus named following Diocletian’s division.The comparative study of the late antiquity settlements in these areas allows us to highlight some important points they have in common, as well as some differences in both areas in the degrees of survival of the different habitats after the crisis of the 3rd century and the emergence of new types of habitats (villages on high ground) that do not appear in all areas, only in the south. We also studied the problem of the existence of a few luxurious villas in the 4th century (especially the controversial site of Centcelles), in contrast to other more modest habitats, and the change from Roman villas to other types of dispersed settlement.