Senses of the empire : multisensory approaches to Roman culture / edited by Eleanor Betts.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 200-221) and index.

Introduction: Senses of empire / Eleanor Betts -- The sounds of the city : from noise to silence in ancient Rome / Ray Laurence -- The multivalency of sensory artefacts in the city of Rome / Eleanor Betts -- Beyond smell : the sensory landscape of the Roman Fullonica / Miko Flohr -- Soundscape of the street : architectural acoustics in Ostia / Jeffrey Veitch -- Sensory archaeologies : a Vindolanda smellscape / Thomas J. Derrick -- A sense of grief : the role of the senses in the performance of Roman mourning / Valerie M. Hope -- Blood, fire and feasting : the role of touch and taste in Graeco-Roman animal sacrifice / Candace Weddle -- Babes in arms? : sensory dissonance and the ambiguities of votive objects / Emma-Jayne Graham -- All that glitters : Roman signet rings, the senses and the self / Ian J. Marshman -- Tuning into the past : methodological perspectives in the contextualised study of the sounds of Roman antiquity / Alexandre Vincent -- Motion sensors : perceiving movement in Roman pantomime / Helen Slaney -- Scents of place and colours of smell : fragranced entertainment in ancient Rome / Jo Day -- Afterword: Towards a methodology for Roman sensory studies / Eleanor Betts.

"The Roman empire afforded a kaleidoscope of sensations. Through a series of multisensory case studies centred on people, places, buildings and artefacts, and on specific aspects of human behaviour, this volume develops ground-breaking methods and approaches for sensory studies in Roman archaeology and ancient history. Authors explore questions such as: what it felt like, and symbolised, to be showered with saffron at the amphitheatre; why the shape of a dancer's body made him immediately recognisable as a social outcast; how the dramatic gestures, loud noises and unforgettable smells of a funeral would have different meanings for members of the family and for bystanders; and why feeling the weight of a signet ring on his finger contributed to a man's sense of identity. A multisensory approach is taken throughout, with each chapter exploring at least two of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The contributors' individual approaches vary, reflecting the possibilities and the wide application of sensory studies to the ancient world. Underlying all chapters is a conviction that taking a multisensory approach enriches our understanding of the Roman empire, but also an awareness of the methodological problems encountered when reconstructing past experiences"--Provided by publisher.