On the occasion of the restoration and opening to the public of the Horrea Piperataria located along the vicus ad Carinas in the Roman Forum, the Parco archeologico del Colosseo (i.e. the Colosseum Archaeological Park) is organizing an International thematic conference entitled “Horrea. Places, Economy and Society in the Roman World” to be held on December 10-11-12, 2024 at the Curia Iulia.

In archaeological literature, all architectural spaces, whether public or private, functional for the storage, preservation, and management of goods and movable property are usually defined as “horrea”. The term, of uncertain etymology, is sometimes also used to identify buildings that share, either wholly or partially, the general plano-volumetric layout of horrea as such, even though they are intended for other functions (productive, bureaucratic, etc.).
Horrea, as understood in modern times, represent a category of monumental evidence of significant importance for the political, economic, and social history of the Roman world, and a privileged observatory for architectural, historical-topographical, and material culture analyses of individual contexts or areas of Rome as well as of the Provinces of the Empire.
The Conference aims to address the topic of horrea in urban contexts and in a comparative manner, using different points of view and methodological perspectives to coordinate and correlate the most recent and innovative research on the topic within an organized framework that can provide a productive space for sharing and discussing data and opinions. The aim is to assess one of the aspects of Roman culture from the Republican and Imperial ages that has been overlooked by recent scientific literature, from a global archaeology viewpoint.

Particular attention will be given to archaeological, architectural, and topographical analyses aimed at the new and improved understanding of known or unknown contexts; philological or historical-antiquarian research aimed at the etymological investigation of the term horreum, its application by modern scholars, and the semiotics of these spaces.
The Conference days will also focus on the functioning, organization, and management of warehouses, with particular regard to their technical operation, storage capacities, and sometimes highly sophisticated organization, from the unloading of goods in arrival areas (occasionally remote) to the organization of the storage itself, including the handling within the building. Considering the type of goods and commodities stored, attention will be directed towards the role of horrea in the Roman economy and their integration into commercial networks. Similarly, a specific attention will be given to the trades within the warehouses, the “society of horrea,” generally highlighted in inscriptions, for the purpose of determining the role of these professional figures, reconstructing operational and commercial chains, bringing out social hierarchies and elements of identity and cohesion, including religious aspects.

A final series of contributions might consider horrea from a legal perspective: the private or public nature of both the buildings and their use; public regulation concerning the construction and use of the structures (resolution of conflicts related to storage and exploitation; storage and public distribution).
Furthermore, the Conference will focus on research on the emic perspective of these spaces in the ancient world, as well as their reception and reinterpretation in modern European culture; and case study analyses related to restoration, conservation, and valorization interventions.
Priority will be given to contributions that stand out for their originality, innovation, and multidisciplinary approach.

The structure of the meeting includes:
• 20-minute oral presentations, distributed across different sections
• Contributions to be presented in a poster session
• Accepted languages: Italian, English, French

Oral presentations and posters can cover topics related to horrea, the cellae vinariae (i.e. wineries), and spaces for storage and commerce, at least in one of the following thematic areas:
1. Excavation contexts
2. Archaeology of Architecture, Functions and Semantics of Spaces
3. Functioning, Organization, and Management
4. Historical, Legal, Economic, Financial, Commercial, and Religious aspects
5. History of Historiography. Perception of the Horrea in the Ancient World and reception
in the Modern Age
6. Conservation, Restoration, and Enhancement Projects

Geographic areas will include:
• Rome
• the main ports
• Italy
• The East
• The West
• Africa

Those interested in participating shall send via email their participation proposal, containing the abstract of the presentation, its title, and the names of the authors, using the attached application form, to the following address:
pa-colosseo.convegni@cultura.gov.it by August 10, 2024.

Forms shall be submitted exclusively in .DOC/.DOCX format, using the provided spaces.
Texts should have a maximum length of 5000 characters including spaces, and are going to be collected in a brochure that will be distributed before the Conference to facilitate participation in the work and in the scientific discussion.
The curators and the Scientific Committee will select the proposals by September 28, 2024, taking into account their relevance to the conference themes, their scientific interest, and their innovative features.

Curators:
Alfonsina Russo, Roberta Alteri, Alessio De Cristofaro, Domenico Palombi

Scientific Committee:
Evelyne Bukowiecki, Maria Letizia Caldelli, Elio Lo Cascio, Filippo Coarelli, Cyrill Courier, Federico De Romanis, Julien Dubouloz, Andrea Giardina, Gian Luca Gregori, Nicolas Laubry, Emanuele Papi, Françoise Van Haeperen, Catherine Virlouvet, Fausto Zevi.