Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 October 2017
Nothing has so characterized the British School at Rome's approach, from its inception, as the commitment to landscape archaeology in one form or another. This paper discusses the origins of this commitment in the work of Thomas Ashby, but focuses on the major contribution of J.B. Ward-Perkins and the South Etruria Survey. This survey is set in the context both of intellectual developments in landscape archaeology, and the specific circumstances of the BSR, and its Director, after the Second World War. The article traces the impact of this work on subsequent landscape archaeology.
Niente ha caratterizzato in modo così netto l'approccio della British School at Rome, sin dal suo principio, come l'impegno nei confronti della landscape archaeology in tutte le sue forme. Il presente articolo tratta delle origini di questo impegno nel lavoro di Thomas Ashby, focalizzandosi anche sul significativo contributo di J.B. Ward-Perkins e sul South Etruria Survey. In particolare questa ricerca topografica viene analizzata nel contesto sia degli sviluppi teorici nell'ambito della landscape archaeology, sia delle specifiche circostanze della BSR e del suo Direttore dopo il Secondo Conflitto Mondiale. L'articolo tratteggia l'impatto di questo lavoro sugli sviluppi della landscape archaeology.
I am grateful to Alessandra Giovenco, Nicholas Purcell, Alastair Small, Simon Stoddart, Bryan Ward-Perkins and Peter Wiseman for immensely helpful advice and comment; the views are my own. I am conscious that there are many who contributed to the South Etruria Survey who are not mentioned in this chapter, but the BSR was honoured by their commitment and work. This essay is dedicated to all my colleagues at the BSR during my directorship, and to the fourteen directors who preceded me, with the utmost gratitude.