ABSTRACT
This chapter brings together the themes of the book and critically examines how studies of water can illustrate the value of presenting Romano-British towns as examples of hybrid identities. By combining the receptive incoming traditions of the Mediterranean world, explored in Chapter 2, and the meaning-laden prehistoric context of British towns, discussed in Chapter 3, we can appreciate the extent to which generalised conceptions of water supply in Roman Britain are challenging to reconcile with the evidence. At some sites we may see a more continental influence in the function and justification for these features, while at others we can detect a more defined engagement with local traditions. Accordingly, we have features that may share certain structural similarities but could be perceived in entirely different fashions. ‘Making strange’ aspects of Roman urbanism in this way may lead to a wider relevance than emphasising familiarity. It provides us with a more robust way to engage with current theoretical discourse in the discipline, such as globalisation studies, and can also more thoroughly connect with wider studies of urbanism. Accordingly, the final sections of the chapter evaluate the extent to which this different view of water in Roman towns can contribute to a dialogue on the changing relationship between water and urbanism in the present.
