Abstract:

Carthago Nova became during the 4th to 7th centuries AD a gigantic quarry for the functional supply of construction material and its urban spaces were reused and transformed from the functional perspective. However, this dynamic has also been at least since the Augustean times and between the 3rd centuries AD. Relevant examples of this are provided by certain archaeological contexts recently documented in the Archaeological Park of Molinete and, in particular, in the area of the Colonial Forum and in the Atrium Building. Various objectives and conditions explain a phenomenon in which spolia acquire a functional and/or ideological importance of the first order, revealing itself as a prime element in understanding the configuration of the High-Imperial city as a resilient entity.