The Social and Spatial Analysis of Romano-British Villas Four case studies from Gloucestershire

One of the most prominent features of Romanization in the British countryside were the Romanized villas, which clearly demonstrated the adoption of Roman lifestyles. Many represented the willingness of members of the native élite to exhibit their status through the construction of residences with Roman-style architecture and materials (John, 1969: 40; Black, 1987: 7). But it is evident that, despite the obvious wealth needed to erect these Romanized structures, the level of luxury varied; this could be indicative of the differing social conditions in many complexes. Regardless of the evident inequality in wealth between some villas, they all represent a Romanizing tendency in rural Roman Britain. This ties in with the question of the social significance of these structures and the role that they performed for the owners within the broader community. Therefore, there will be two general themes focused upon within this study: the symbolism of villas as representations of Romanization, and the social role that they performed, including the divisions of space within the sites under question