Document Type
Honors Project
Abstract
Previously, scholarship on the Mediterranean catacombs has focused on isolated sites or on the religious significance and iconography of regional groups. By contextualizing the archaeological data through comparison and recentering the discussion on architecture, this research offers a contextualized, non-apologetic picture of ancient Mediterranean catacombs. This architectural comparison between the Roman catacombs and those of St. Paul and Abbatija Tad-Dejr in Malta reveals both significant architectural change and the persistence of archaic features, suggesting a high degree of cultural continuity under Roman provincial governance on Malta (218 BCE - c. 5th - 6th centuries CE). This, paired with the emergence of several tomb types unique to Malta within the catacombs, leads me to suggest the development of a truly local burial tradition.
Recommended Citation
Hodson, Emily S.R, "Catacombs in Context: Exploring Roman Architectural Influence in the Catacombs of Rabat, Malta" (2026). Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects. 34.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classics_honors/34
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Other Architecture Commons, Other Religion Commons
© Copyright is owned by author of this document
Comments
Project advised by Professor Beth Severy-Hoven, Department of Classical Mediterranean and Middle East
Defense Panel included Professor Beth Severy-Hoven, Professor Susanna Drake, and Senior Lecturer/Department Chair Nanette Goldman