Project ROMRIVERS

Sustainability of Roman fluvial structures: conception, operability, maintenance and risks

ROMRIVERS brings together an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, geomorphologists, historians, and engineers using hydraulic modelling to consider many aspects related to the realisation, the construction, the operability, and the maintenance of river structures between the 2nd c. BCE and the 6th c. CE.

 

The Rhône River flowing through Arles, with the remains of the Roman bridge visible (by Mbzt is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

Many ancient waterworks modified river systems with channelisation and canalisation. The aim of this project is to assess how these structures were designed to survive over time, and whether or not they adapted to socio-environmental changes. Based on an interdisciplinary study of urban channels and canals located in the western Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast, we aim (1) to assess if the conception of river structures ensured their persistence by considering their dimensions, their restoration or restructuring and (2) to reconstruct the adaptation of these structures to socio-environmental modifications happening after their construction (climatic and hydro-sedimentary variations,
socio-cultural changes, natural and anthropic events).

Study areas

This project focuses mainly on river structures built and used during the Roman period in Mediterranean deltaic areas (Rhône, Po and Tiber) and Atlantic river mouths (Guadalete and Loukkos).

 

Case studies selected in the ROMRIVERS project

Project duration

2025-2029

Coordination

Dr. Ferréol SALOMON, Prof. Corinne ROUSSE, Dr. Marguerite RONIN, et Dr. Léo GUIOT DE LA ROCHÈRE

Collaborations

- Laboratoire Image Ville Environnement (LIVE), UMR-7362 (CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, ENGEES) : Dr. Ferréol SALOMON, Dr. Damien ERLEN (Geoarchaeology)

- Aix Marseille Université / Centre Camille Jullian (CCJ), UMR-7299 : Prof. Corinne ROUSSE (Archaeology)

- Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité (ArcScan), UMR-7041 : Dr. Marguerite RONIN, Dr. Valérie FAUVINET-RANSON (History)

- École nationale du génie de l'eau et de l'environnement de Strasbourg (ENGEES) : Dr. Léo GUIOT DE LA ROCHÈRE, Dr. Guilhem DELLINGER, Prof. José VAZQUEZ (Hydraulic modelling)

- Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR-6249 (CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté) : Dr. Julien AZUARA (Palynology)

- Univerzita Karlova (République tchèque) : Dr. Kresimir VUKOVIC (History)

- Universidad de Cádiz (Espagne) : Prof. Dario BERNAL-CASASOLA (Archaeology), Prof. Javier GRACIA (Geomorphology)

- Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine (Maroc) : Prof. Mohamed KIRBI-ALAOUI (Archaeology)

- Università di Bologna (Italie) : Dr. Andrea GAUCCI (Archaeology) - voir https://site.unibo.it/eos/it

- Université de Padova (Italie) : Prof. Paolo MOZZI (Geomorphology)

- Université de Liège (Belgique) : Prof Thomas Morard et Dr. Grégory Mainet (Archaeology)