The 17th International Conference on Provincial Roman Art was held under the theme ‘Times of Upheaval’ and explored the concept of transition in two respects. Firstly, new and interdisciplinary research methods are playing an increasingly important role in the scholarly analysis of provincial Roman stone monuments and are making a significant contribution to broadening the scope of research. Digital tools for documentation and analysis, as well as scientific techniques for stone and pigment analysis, are presented in this volume and linked to conventional investigations based on archaeological and art-historical criteria. The focus is on the scientific added value and the perspectives arising from the upheavals in applied methodology regarding the recording, analysis and presentation of ancient stone monuments. Secondly, the transitional phase in the history of the late Roman provinces is examined on the basis of monuments from this period. The question is to what extent the profound social changes from the second half of the 3rd century AD are reflected in the inventory, nature and use of stone monuments. Particular interest is focused on the dating and contextualisation of late antique provincial Roman sculpture and the transitions to early Christianity. A third focus of the conference was devoted to the presentation of new finds and the discussion of current topics in provincial Roman art. The contributions in this volume cover the Roman Empire from the north-western provinces through the Danube provinces to the Levant and North Africa.
