Religious Architecture and Roman Expansion

'In this thoroughly researched and important book, Crawford-Brown addresses one of the most complex questions about one of the most transformative periods in ancient life: how did sociocultural practice change as Rome took control of Italia? In arguing for a multifaceted, un-centered invention of tradition, she lays a new path for the study of sacred sculpture, its creation and experience. A bonus is her success in explaining how terracotta remained a vibrant medium into the empire, despite the allure of marble, by harnessing a look back to both recent and long-distant pasts.' John North Hopkins, New York University 'Fragments of architectural terracottas are often difficult to interpret, yet they are instrumental for our understanding of much of ancient architecture. It is a pleasure to welcome Sophie Crawford-Brown to the group of international scholars studying architectural terracottas, a topic that has grown in many directions and one that presents challenges in presenting the material to scholars and students. Readers will be impressed by Crawford-Brown's meticulous research and the scholarly contribution of her study.' Ingrid Edlund-Berry, The University of Texas at Austin 'This book provides a much needed study of architectural terracottas, which have been almost completely neglected in otherwise vigorous recent debates over sociocultural change in Italy during the Republican period. Many artifacts discussed here have been gathering dust in museum storerooms, and Crawford-Brown does vital work by shining light on these objects, making them newly accessible to researchers. Not only that, but the author presents her subject in theoretically sophisticated ways, which will help center this material in future studies of empire's dramatic effects upon culture and identity. Crawford-Brown's study is sure to interest a wide group of art historians, historians, archaeologists, and scholars of material culture.' Seth Bernard, University of Toronto