“Where have all the courtrooms gone?: Are they hiding in plain sight?”

In many western cultures legal activities are accommodated within purpose-built

structures, most commonly, the courthouse. While within Roman culture some building types

were linked with specific activities, the assignation of a specific structure type for legal activities

only, such as preliminary hearings, arbitrations, and trials, did not occur. Using ancient evidence

(literary texts, artistic representations, material remains) and virtual reality 3D modeling, we will

explore the locations at which the inhabitants of Roman communities sought resolution to their

disputes. Through such examination, a new appreciation of what is, and is not yet, known about

the Roman legal system emerges