RomAge Database (The Visual Dimension of Aging)

Hispania

Roman Hispania included the current territories of Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, and Andorra. Thoroughly Romanised over the seven centuries it was part of the Empire (3rd cent. BCE-5th cent. CE), the region hosted objects imported from Rome and other centres, while also producing locally art of various quality. The latter was characterised by the blending of Roman and local aesthetics. Comparatively with other regions of the Empire, fewer objects have survived. The selection below evinces known representations of old and aging men and women from this region. The small sample prevents the extrapolation of theories regarding local perceptions of old age, which require comparanda with other areas.

Database

The table contains essential information, as follows: the image or its detail showcasing the aging person, its short description, dating and place of discovery, the gender of the represented person, potential scholarship addressing the object or relevant to it, links to the source of the image in higher definition. In the latter phase of RomAge, cross-references to the other three sub-projects will be added, to reveal how the various categories of sources intertwine in creating the period’s perception of old age.

When a certain representation pertains to a common ‘type’, only one of the extant cases is added to the database, with statistics being considered in summarising analyses of the material pertaining to each region that will be created as sufficient information is gathered, as well as in the publications dedicated to the various aspects of the studied phenomenon. 

The database for Hispania includes objects produced in other areas (e.g., Rome), if they were imported in Antiquity/Late Antiquity, since they reflect the taste of locals and, once imported, shape local perceptions of old age.