Gardens in Roman Gaul:
Insights into Social
Interaction and Imitation

Catherine Kearns (University of Arizona)

The role of the hortus in Roman domestic spheres has contributed to the understanding of spatial dynamics, as well as their social importance. The archaeological study of Roman gardens, however, has only recently been questioned, following Wilhemina Jashemski and her seminal work, The Gardens of Pompeii, in 1979. While this site uniquely preserved the remnants of domestic horti, other regions, and particularly the Roman provinces, have yet to be investigated for garden contexts. Both ancient sources and the archaeological record testify to the presence of gardens in Roman homes, and this paper will explore their use as vehicles for the exchange of ideology from Rome to Gaul, as well as the tribal elite's imitation of Roman culture. This is especially relevant in the northern provinces, which rapidly accepted Italic customs.

After Julius Caesar completed his annexation of Gaul in 52 BCE, Roman culture and art were absorbed by the native inhabitants. Within a generation a unique Gallic culture had arisen, imitating Roman architecture and ceramics while adhering to previous traditions. The context of domestic gardens in the first century C.E. represents a unique window to this cohesion of earlier traits and new adopted Roman ones, and comparing peristyle courtyard houses and larger villas at Pompeii with those found in Gaul can exemplify this transaction, as local elites began to fill their homes with designed outdoor spaces. It is in this period that mosaics, fountains, and garden architecture gain importance in residential spaces. The case studies in this paper, including Vaison, Lyon, and Vienne, testify to the urbanization of this province and the spread of non-traditional architecture and art.

While the lack of interest in this area of villa archaeology has limited the amount of analysis, certain conclusions can be drawn from a close examination of the excavation reports and surveys of sites in the provinces of Gaul. The appearance of peristyle courtyards, their placement within the layout of the domestic sphere, and their accompanying artifacts encourage the study of the garden as an important and separate area of social interaction, one which can provide a closer examination of the appropriation of Italic customs within the populations of Gaul.