This book considers the phenomenon of the villa in the province of Hispania Ulterior Baetica through a quantitative analysis of the material evidence, within the framework of glocalization. Montoya González builds upon Victor Roudometof’s definition of glocalization as the process of globalization refracted through the local and focuses particularly on the ways in which these local realities affected this ‘refraction’. The research is divided into seven chapters, including the introduction and a brief conclusion, and is followed by two extensive appendices where the studied material is presented following the typologies established by the author within the book.
The introduction (chapter 1) of the book offers an overview of the state of research on Baetican villas and sets out how the author wishes to tackle the material evidence available. Rubén Montoya González’s overarching question for his book is to consider how global phenomena that occurred conspicuously in the Roman world—in this case, the villa and the display of pavements—did so locally within the province of Hispania Ulterior Baetica. In so doing, the author provides an approach that shares some similarities with previous works on the villas (such as the quantitative approach), but also has notable differences, especially in the use of the glocalization framework to analyse the Baetican evidence, as well as the rejection of (seemingly) straightforward functional typologies for villa spaces by the giving of Latin names following the Vitruvian ideal (p. 31). Furthermore, he notes the debt he owes to post-processual archaeology in bringing attention to the analysis of mosaics and other decorative media in their contexts.[1] Montoya González sets his own study in the context of this scholarship and wishes to build upon these contextual approaches. He sets out five objectives, which roughly correlate to specific chapters, a relationship which the author, however, does not point out explicitly (p. 2):
- “To characterise and then quantify the different types of spaces and pavements within the residential areas of these Baetican villas”: this, he tackles in chapter 3.
- “To assess the significance of the display of the different types of pavements identified in certain types of spaces”: this, he considers in chapter 4.
- “To assess the relationship between the different types of pavements, the types of spaces where they were displayed, and the assumed uses of the different villa spaces, and to investigate whether a hierarchical use of pavements existed within residential areas”: this, he does in chapter 5.
- “To investigate the existence of a distribution pattern in regard to the choice of different types of decoration and decorative scenes according to room type”: this is also investigated in chapter 5.
- “To define how the phenomenon of the Roman villa occurred in the Baetica province in terms of architecture and pavement display, as well as identify its regional and local variations, and to investigate whether the selection of specific iconographies could have had a regional-based character”: this is a theme that permeates most chapters but is explicitly tackled in chapter 6.
The introduction continues with a justification of the book’s aims and approaches, as well as clarifications about how Montoya González characterises a villa. As for the latter, a villa “comprises any residential unit organised around a main, central distribution space, located in suburban, rural, or coastal contexts, and presenting at least three of the following features […]: the use of stone/brick tile, rectilinear plan, tessellated pavements or mosaics, and bath facilities” (p. 11). Following recent works on Baetican villas,[2] Montoya González adopts a quantitative—and theoretically backed—approach to a holistic study of villa spaces and pavements which succeeds in highlighting the peculiarities of the Baetican villas and their potential in Roman archaeology studies.
Chapter 2 provides a discussion of the theoretical framework that serves as the backbone of this book: glocalization. Given the relative novelty of this theoretical approach,[3] the author begins with an overview of globalization and its application to Roman studies (pp. 20-21). While admitting some of the advantages of globalization approaches, Montoya González offers critiques that have already been put forward by previous scholars, such as the lack of consideration for local variations/agency that globalisation posits, or the interplay between the global and the local.[4] It is due to these shortcomings that the author proposes glocalization instead. I find the author’s use of Roudometof’s definition of glocalization as “globalization refracted through the local”[5] very succinct. But especially how Montoya González refines this definition by bringing further attention to “the complexity, diversity and dynamism of the locale” (p. 26). All in all, the argument presented is that there is no such thing as a single ‘glocalization’ of the Roman world or its provinces, but rather, there are glocal realities, which are created through the refraction of the globalizing waves as they enter into contact with the local (here the villa owners) in a process that creates heterogeneity, but where localised homogeneity also persists. Overall, this chapter does a good job of presenting this theoretical framework.
Chapter 3 turns to the question of typological classification of villa spaces. The author argues that traditional classifications of villas, which combine architectural typologies and functional identification, “still [lead] to mistaken assumptions about room function” (p. 31). Therefore, Montoya González proposes a typological classification that does not assume function a priori, but is instead dependent upon a room’s size, location, architectural features, distribution and (non-)transitional character, and (only in the last instance) the specific functional aspects of the space (e.g. baths, fountains, industrial activities) (p. 32), thus avoiding former biases. Consequently, twelve room types are distinguished and numbered from 1 to 12). These types (pp. 32-54) comprise entranceways to residential areas (type 1), distribution spaces both around the residential area (type 2) and those destined for illumination or ventilation (type 3). Rooms are also divided into large (type 4) and medium/small rooms (type 5) accessed from type 2 areas; as well as large (type 8) and medium/small rooms (type 9) which can only be accessed through secondary distribution spaces, and open-fronted rooms that offer access to other rooms (type 7). Also classified are corridors, ambulatories or other transitional spaces (type 6), spaces associated with a bath area, including latrines (type 10), and external spaces or internal spaces built to act as fountains (type 11). A final ‘other’ type (type 12) is given which encompasses the various spaces not analysed, whether due to fragmentary/incomplete nature of evidence, unidentified spaces, or spaces that fell outside the scope of the study. There is, however, no clear statement of how many spaces have been classified as type 12, and the reader might have benefited from further clarification here.
For each of these room types, Montoya González calculates their numbers and what percentages of each type are identifiable in the Baetican villas. Furthermore, he also offers specific discussion of their shapes, interior configuration, and architectural features (pp. 35-54). The overall finding of this chapter is that the spaces of Baetican villas “are characterised by their architectural simplicity and the uniformity of this simplicity across the different room types among these villas” (p. 54). In other words, their architectural features did not see an increase in complexity until later times, and this simplicity in architectural features was conspicuous in all room types in the villas of Baetica.
Chapter 4 tackles the issue of pavements and decoration within Baetican villas. The author criticises, following earlier scholars, the tendency to make circular arguments by ascribing room functionality on the basis of decorative pavements. Thus, the author proposes to analyse the relationship between architecture and decoration in Baetican villas, but does so without presupposing a relationship between them. This he does by creating a typology for pavements that is entirely separate from the architectural one presented in the previous chapter (p. 56). The author identifies nineteen types of decoration comprising pavements, walls, ceilings, and free-standing decorations (e.g. statues), but focuses on the pavement designs, which comprise eleven out of the total “because these are the most prolific and most easily analyzable type of evidence in these villas” (p. 56). Furthermore, this chapter only considers pavements found across room types 2, 4-9, and 11 due to the scarcity of pavement decoration types 1, 3, 10, and 12 (p. 57). Finally, Montoya González wishes to ascertain whether any relationship exists between room types and the uses of specific pavement decorative types according to his own typologies. The conclusion at which he arrives is that there seem to be certain “decorative precepts in the display of different types of pavements across certain room types” (p. 79), but there is also plenty of evidence for local villa owners exercising their agency in ignoring these precepts. This is especially in certain room types: main distribution spaces (room type 2), for example, demonstrate strong decorative precepts, while other rooms reflect a higher degree of personal choice (p. 80).
Chapter 5 turns to look at “the relationship between villa pavements, the places in which they occur in Baetican villas, and the functional character of these spaces” (p. 104). Montoya González once again criticises the tendency of scholars to apply modern analogies to the functional identification of villa spaces, oftentimes associated with the room’s pavements. In fact, the author finds that pavement types can only be readily associated with room types. Firstly, a relationship can be ascertained (albeit a non-exclusive one) between the use of mythic/human figures, objects, and animals with marine themes and the water-supply role of structures in rooms of type 2. Secondly, Bacchic scenes seem to be closely related to large rooms accessed from either main distribution spaces (room type 4) or other spaces (room type 8). Finally, boxing scenes are seemingly closely associated with bath complexes, as well. Beyond these three examples, however, the author’s analysis “confirms an absence of strict decorative precepts in terms of the display of specific subject matter in certain types of rooms” (p. 105).
Chapter 6 circles back to glocalization and seeks to consider the previous chapters in light of glocalization as a framework for the study of Baetican villas. Montoya González does this by considering the architectural characteristics of villa spaces that occur in the largest percentages and the pavement types that are most common in each room type, and then takes the results to exemplify “the provincial character of Baetican [villas]” (p. 108). Those features among room types, and the display of pavements in certain room types that occur in lesser percentages, Montoya González sees as “resulting from the local agency of villa owners and their responses to a global phenomenon, different to the group choices” (p. 108). The author thus shows how villa owners both participated in global precepts for decorative practices, but also chose to add personalised variations: “from a glocalization perspective, both types of decisions demonstrate the locale’s agency and symbolic power during the social refraction process.” (p. 119). Finally, Montoya González considers the question of whether there is such a thing as a Hispano-Roman villa, and concludes that the Roman villa phenomenon in the Iberian Peninsula was closely related between Iberian provinces, especially in spaces where decorative precepts were stronger, such as in main distribution spaces (p. 134). However, differences between villas in the Iberian provinces are also well-attested, showing how glocalization reveals “a dichotomous, both homogeneous and heterogeneous, reality in terms of the construction of villa spaces, their embellishment with different architectural features and their use of various types of pavements” (p. 136). Finally, chapter 7 offers a brief conclusion which recaps the analyses of the previous chapters. However, it is appropriately rather short because most of the conclusions have been successfully worked out within each chapter, and especially in chapter 6.
The appendices at the end of the book offer the reader a clear, pictorial, guide to the villas the author has analysed with each being classified according to the author’s typologies. The book is well-illustrated for its purpose, and the figures and tables throughout help in making the points clearer, especially given the sheer number of typologies. Overall, this work provides fresh and insightful research not only on the debates surrounding the phenomenon of the Roman villa in Baetica, but also on theoretical approaches to the Roman world. I find this work to be a great addition to the study of Hispania Baetica, as well as a strong case-study in defence of glocalization approaches. It should also be noted, however, that the book is complex in its argumentation, given both the subtleties of the theoretical frameworks, as well as the complexity of the typological definitions and classifications. Despite this, a reader well versed in the discussion of the phenomenon of the villas in the Roman world, as well as the one well versed in the studies surrounding Romanisation will find this book a stimulating addition to both discussions.
Notes
[1] Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1983). The Social Logic of Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; and Samson, R. (ed.) (1990). The Social Archaeology of Houses. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press are the works noted by the author in p. 10.
[2] The first truly comprehensive work on the Baetican villas is: Hidalgo, R. (ed.) (2016). Las villas romanas de la Bética, volumes I-II. Sevilla: Universidad de Sevilla.
[3] Some other works have used glocalization in the past, for instance: Russell, A. (2020). ‘Nuragic Networking? Assessing Globalization and Glocalization in a Late Bronze Age Sardinian Context’, in Mediterranean Archaeologies of Insularity in an Age of Globalization, eds. A. Kouremenos & J.M. Gordon (Oxbow Books), 27-52; Peer, C. (2023). ‘Wo(man) with the Serpent Hair: An Assessment of the Validity of Globalization and Glocalization Framework in the Study of Roman Britain through Romano-British Sculpture of the Gorgon.’ Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal 6(1): 1–29.
[4] See, for instance, Gardner, A. (2013). ‘Thinking about Roman Imperialism: Postcolonialism, Globalisation and Beyond?’. Britannia 44, pp. 1-25.
[5] Roudometof, V. (2016). ‘Theorizing Glocalization: Three Interpretations’. European Journal of Social Theory 19, pp. 391-408. Quotation is found on p. 398.