Significance in the Suburbs: Grasping the 'Monument Syntax' of a Roman Town for Developers and Heritage Managers Alike (Brigantium/Bregenz, Austria)

The assessment of significance lies at the heart of the definition and management of archaeological monuments, especially in built-up urban and suburban areas. The case study discussed in this paper, the mid-sized Roman town of Brigantium in modern Bregenz (Austria), occupies the area of a prominent suburb with relatively large green spaces between residential buildings. It therefore represents a rather rare category: it is neither a complete archaeological reserve nor a post-Roman town mostly built over by later construction. A digital 'city map' of all documented Roman-era structures has existed since 2016 and has become a valuable tool for heritage management as well as research. However, when addressing issues of significance (how important is a Roman town?), some differentiation is necessary. The Austrian Monuments Authority has, in recent years, reflected upon possible criteria for the assessment of 'high' significance. This paper, utilising a spatial approach towards quality and quantity, integrity and authenticity, presents an attempt to work out 'layers of meaning' in the syntax of the assemblage that constitutes the archaeological monument.