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Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Spaces and Cultural Identity in the Seleucid Empire

DE GIUSEPPE, Ileana

This paper examines the enduring cultural influences on domestic spaces in Hellenistic Bactria and Mesopotamia through the lens of spatial analysis, also employing VGA (visual graph analysis). By focusing on vernacular architecture, which emphasizes the use of local materials and responds to geographical and climatic needs, the study delves into how regional identities manifest within the domestic sphere. The research investigates structures in both newly established and pre-existing cities, uncovering regional commonalities and disparities in the layout of houses. This approach reveals a dynamic landscape of cultural negotiation and resistance. The study leverages space syntax theory to analyze the spatial organization of residential structures, transforming these patterns into socio-cultural insights. Selected sites, including Seleucia-on-the-Tigris, Babylon, Uruk, Ai Khanoum, Saksanokhur, and Dil’berdzhin, provide a comprehensive view of the architectural milieu of the period. By examining the choices of materials, layout, and division of spaces, the paper aims to highlight how domestic architecture functioned as a medium for producing identity and manifesting culture. This paper provides a novel perspective by combining spatial syntax analysis with vernacular architecture studies to uncover the nuanced ways in which regional identities persisted and adapted within the domestic spaces of Hellenistic Bactria and Mesopotamia.

Session 1. Exploring Archaeology as a Global Science [info]