Riparia environments in Hispania ulterior Baetica: the case of the Lagoon of La Janda and the Estuary of the Barbate River

Abstract

This communication aims at applying the concept of riparia to a precise geographical framework within the Roman Empire. The Roman province of Hispania Ulterior-Baetica shows intense land use, some of which is on wetland, more specifically on paludal and estuarial environments. The interaction between society and environment on marshlands will be studied based on data from archaeology, literature and environmental studies, using the case study of the lagoon of La Janda and the estuary of the Barbate River. Located in the south of the province of Baetica (currently Andalusia, Spain), it reveals a strong relationship with the Strait of Gibraltar. The integrated management of the lagoon will be analyzed using an economic, communal and cultural point of view.