El nuevo edificio de atrio en el entorno del foro de Baelo Claudia (Tarifa, Cádiz): reflexiones sobre los espacios asociativos y cultuales en la ciudad romana

Reflexiones sobre los espacios asociativos y cultuales en la ciudad romana

Abstract

The excavations carried out in recent years in the southeast sector of the forum of the city of Baelo Claudia have brought to light the remains of two contiguous buildings, with a long and complex evolution over time. From the data available, their functionality is not entirely clear. One of them, the so-called "atrium building", has characteristics in common with other spaces, such as those supposedly used for association meetings, administrative practices or worship. This study analyses the different archaeological evidence available that allows a first functional approximation, in the specific framework of the city of Baelo Claudia. At the same time, this makes it possible to question the real rigidity of classical building typologies, and to question the artificial one-to-one correspondence between form and function in the Roman urban world. In addition to the polyvalence of the constructions recorded in the textual and archaeological sources, we must add the more than probable existence of complex socio-religious practices and particular buildings adapted to them. It is still difficult for research to ascribe them to the traditional and restricted typological models.