To introduce students to the historical and archaeological sources for Roman Britain and to describe how that evidence relates to the history, society and culture of the province.

On completion of the module a student should be able to:

… understand the broad chronology for Roman Britannia, and comment critically on the archaeological and literary sources as evidence for the social and historical development of the province.

Knowledge and Understanding:

A knowledge of the key personalities and events in the history of the Roman province of Britannia, as well as key sites and the material culture of Roman Britain. Also, an understanding of the economic and social development of Roman Britain.

20 lectures and 4 seminars throughout the year.

Intellectual Skills:

The skills to use the disparate documentary and archaeological sources to provide interpretations for a complex historical period.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

An ability to engage in analytical and evaluative thinking about historical texts and interpretations, and to form judgements on the basis of evidence and argument.

Transferable Skills:

• Structure and write reports of appropriate length on research topics
• Communicate and present theories and practical solutions through oral and written presentations
• Work in an organised and efficient manner – individually as well as in a team
• Access and utilise information in a variety of resources, including library and internet
• Present ideas and arguments effectively and coherently in written form and to communicate them in oral presentation.

The assessed essay (including tutorial), examination, and non-assesed seminars, require the student to demonstrate critical analysis of the archaeological and literary evidence for Roman Britain, as well as confirming a wide knowledge and understanding of the social and historical development of the province.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR REASSESSMENT

If a student fails any component of the module, they will be required to submit an additional and equivalent piece of coursework. If a student fails the written component of the module they will submit a written essay under a different essay question to the one already attempted. This will normally be 2000 words and will require submission during the summer exam period. If a student fails the exam component of the module they will submit a written essay under a different essay question to the one already attempted. This will normally be 2000 words and will require submission during the summer exam period. If a student fails both the written and exam components of the module they will need to submit two written essays. These essays will have to answer two questions different to both each other and those questions which already been attempted. Both essays will normally be 2000 words and require submission during the summer exam period.

• Theoretical background, including analysis of the contribution to Roman Britain by literary and archaeological sources;
• Chronological survey of the history of the province, from Julius Caesar’s expeditions to the withdrawal of Roman administration at the beginning of the fifth century AD ;
• Surveys of the archaeological evidence (settlement and artefactual), concentrating on the processes by which a Romano-British culture developed (i.e. ‘Romanization / acculturation’);
• Integration of the archaeological and historical evidence leading to the detailed study of key themes (i.e. the role of the army, the rural landscape, urbanisation and the administration of the province, trade and the economy, and the ‘End’ of Roman Britain).
• Interpretation of the economic and social development of Britain during a complex historical period.

ESSENTIAL (#)

#Creighton, J. 2006 Britannia: the creation of a Roman province. London: Routledge

#Frere, S. 1991. Britannia (3rd edition). London: Routledge.

#Jones, G.D.B. and Mattingly, D. 1990. An Atlas of Roman Britain. Oxford: Blackwell.

#Mattingly, D. 2006 Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, 54 BC - AD 409.London:

#Millett, M. 1990. The Romanization of Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

#Salway, P. 1981. Roman Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

RECOMMENDED (*) & GENERAL TEXTS

*Aldhouse-Green, M. and Webster, P. (eds) 2002. Artefacts and Archaeology. Aspects of the Celtic and Roman World. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Branigan, K. (ed) 1980. Rome and the Brigantes. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.

Casey, P.J. 1994. Carausius and Allectus: the British usurpers. London: Batsford.

*Cunliffe, B.W. 1991. Iron Age Communities in Britain. London: Routledge.

Dark, K. and Dark, P. 1997. The Landscape of Roman Britain. Stroud: Tempus.

Frere, S. and St.Joseph, J.K. 1983. Roman Britain from the air. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

*Hanson, W. 1987. Agricola and the Conquest of the North. London: Batsford.

Henig, M. 2002. The Heirs of King Verica. Stroud: Tempus.

*Hingley, R. 2000. Roman officers and English gentlemen : the imperial origins of Roman archaeology. London: Routledge.

Hingley, R. & Unwin, C. 2005. Boudica : iron age warrior queen. London: Hambledon.

Hingley, R. 2005. Globalizing Roman culture : unity, diversity and empire. London: Routledge.

Hingley, R. and Willis, S. (eds) 2007 Roman finds : context and theory. Oxford: Oxbow.

Ireland, S. 1986. Roman Britain: A Sourcebook. London: Routledge.

James, S. and Millet, M. (eds) 2001. Britons and Romans: advancing an archaeological agenda. York: CBA.

*Keppie, L. 1991. Understanding Roman Inscriptions. London: Batsford.

King, A. and Henig, M. (eds.) 1981. The Roman West in the Third Century. Oxford: BAR.

Mattingly, D. (ed) 1997. Dialogues in Roman Imperialism. Journal of Roman Archaeology Supp. Ser. no. 23.

Maxwell, G. 1989. The Romans in Scotland. Edinburgh: Thin.

Milne, G. 1985. The Port of Roman London. London: Batsford.

Potter, T. and Johns, C. 1992. Roman Britain. London: British Museum Press.

*Reece, R. 1988. My Roman Britain. Cirencester: Cotswold Studies.

*Todd, M (ed) 2004. A Companion to Roman Britain. Oxford: Blackwell.

Todd, M. (ed) 1989. Research on Roman Britain 1960-1989. London: Britannia Monog.

*Todd, M. 1981. Roman Britain 55BC-AD400. Douglas: Fontana.

Webster, G. 1978. Boudicca: the British revolt against Rome, AD60. London: Batsford.

Webster, G. 1980. The Roman invasion of Britain. London: Batsford.

Webster, G. 1981. Rome against Caratacus. London: Batsford.

*Webster, J. (ed) 1996. Roman Imperialism: Post-Colonial Perspectives

*Webster, J. and Cooper, N. (eds.) 1996. Roman Imperialism: Post-Colonial Perspectives. Leicester: University of Leicester.

THE ARMY AND FRONTIERS**

Breeze, D. 1982. The Northern Frontiers of Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

*Breeze, D. 2006. Handbook to the Roman Wall. Newcastle: Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.

*Breeze, D. 2007. Roman Frontiers in Britain. Bristol: Bristol Classical Press.

*Breeze, D. and Dobson, B. 1987.  Hadrian’s Wall. London: Penguin.

Brewer, R. (ed) 2000. Roman Fortresses and their Legions. London: Society of Antiquaries.

*Brewer, R. (ed) 2002. Birthday of the eagle : the Second Augustan Legion and the Roman military machine. Cardiff: National Museum of Wales.

*Gardner, A. 2007. An Archaeology of Identity: soldiers & society in late Roman Britain. California: Left Coast Press.

*Hanson, W. and Maxwell, G. 1983 Rome’s North-West Frontier: The Antonine Wall. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Holder, P. 1982. The Roman Army in Britain. London: Batsford.

Jarrett, M. (ed) 1969. The Roman Frontier in Wales (2nd edition). Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Jarrett, M. 1994. Early Roman Campaigns in Wales. Cardiff: Nat. Mus. Wales.

*Johnson, A. 1983. Roman forts of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD in Britain and the German provinces. London: A&C Black.

Johnson, J.S. 1989. Hadrian’s Wall. London: Batsford.

Jones, R. 2012. Roman Camps in Britain. Amberley

Manning, W. 1988. Early Roman campaigns in the south-west of Britain. Cardiff: Nat. Mus. Wales.

Sharples, N. 1991. English Heritage book of Maiden Castle. London: English Heritage.

Woolliscroft, D. and Hoffmann, B. 2007. Rome's First Frontier. The Flavian Occupation of Northern Scotland. Stroud: Tempus.

** for the Saxon Shore forts see the Later Roman Britain section.

TOWNS

Barton, I.M. (ed) 1989. Roman Public Buildings. Exeter: University of Exeter.

Burnham, B.C. and Wacher, J. 1990. The Small Towns of Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

Crummy, P. 1997. City of Victory: the story of Colchester – Britain’s first Roman town. Colchester.

*Greep, S. (ed) 1993. Roman towns: the Wheeler inheritance. York: CBA.

Hurst, H. (ed) 1999. The Coloniae of Roman Britain: new studies and a review. Rhode Island: JRA 36.

Niblett, R. 2001. Verulamium. The Roman City of St Albans. Stroud: Tempus.

*Wacher, J. 1995. The Towns of Roman Britain (2nd edition). London: Batsford.

Webster, G. 1988. Fortress into City. London: Batsford.

White, R. and Barker, P. 1998. Wroxeter: life and death of a Roman city. Stroud: Tempus.

THE COUNTRYSIDE AND VILLAS

Brangian, K. and Miles, D. (eds.) 1986. The Economies of Romano-British Villas. Sheffield: University of Sheffield.

Cunliffe, B.W. 1998. FishbourneRoman Palace. Stroud: Tempus.

*Hingley, R. 1989. Rural Settlements in Roman Britain. London: Seaby.

Miles, D. 1982. The Romano-British Countryside. Oxford: BAR.

Percival, J. 1976. The Roman Villa. London: Batsford.

Smith, R. 1987. Roadside Settlements in lowland Roman Britain. Oxford: BAR.

Taylor, J. 2007. An Atlas of Roman rural settlement in England. York: Council for British Archaeology.

Todd, M. (ed) 1978. Studies in the Romano-British villa. Leicester: Leicester University Press.

TRADE AND THE ECONOMY

du Platt Taylor, J. and Cleere, H. 1978. Roman Shipping and Trade: Britain and the Rhine provinces. London: CBA.

*Greene, K. 1986. The Archaeology of the Roman Economy. London: Batsford.

*Reece, R. 1987. Coinage in Roman Britain. London: Seaby.

Swan, V. 1984. The pottery kilns of Roman Britain. London: HMSO.

ROMANO-BRITISH SOCIETY

Allason-Jones, L. 1989. Women in Roman Britain. London: British Museum Press.

*Birley, A.R. 1979. The People of Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

*Bowman, A.K. 1994. Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier. London: British Museum Press.

Bowman, A.K. and Thomas, J.D. 1983. Vindolanda: The Latin Writing Tablets. London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies.

Cool, H. 2006. Eating and Drinking in Roman Britain. Cambridge: CUP.

Eckardt, H. and Crummy, N. 2008. Styling the Body in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain. Instrumentum.

Eckardt, H. 2010. Roman Diasporas; Archaeological Approaches To Mobility And Diversity In The Roman Empire. Journal of Roman Archaeology Monograph.

Eve D’Ambra, E. 2007. Roman Women. Cambridge: CUP.

ART & ARCHITECTURE IN ROMAN BRITAIN

Davey, N. and Ling, R. 1982. Wall-Painting in Roman Britain. London: Britannia Monograph.

*Henig, M.E. 1995. The Art of Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

Johnson, P. and Haynes, I. (eds.) 1996. Architecture in Roman Britain. York: CBA.

Neal, D.S. 1981. Roman Mosaics in Britain. London: Britannia Monogs.

Neal, D. and Cosh, S. 2002-2009. Roman mosaics of Britain. Vols 1-3. London: Society of Antiquaries.

Toynbee, J. 1963. Art in Roman Britain (2nd edition). London: Phaidon.

*Ward-Perkins, J.B. 1981. Roman Imperial Architecture. London: Penguin.

Wilmott, A. 2008. The Roman Amphitheatre in Britain. Stroud: Tempus.

LATE ROMAN BRITAIN

Arnold, C.J. 1984. Roman Britain to Saxon England. London: Croom Helm.

Casey, P.J. (ed) 1979. The end of Roman Britain. Oxford: BAR.

Dark, K. 1994. Civitas to kingdom: British political continuity 300-800. Leicester: Leicester Uni Press.

Dark, K. 2000. Britain and the end of the Roman Empire. Stroud: Tempus.

*Esmonde-Cleary, A.S. 1989. The Ending of Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

Faulkner, N. 2001. The decline and fall of Roman Britain. Stroud: Tempus.

Higham, N. 1992. Rome, Britain and the Anglo-Saxons. London: Seaby.

Johnson, J.S. 1976. The Roman Forts of the Saxon Shore. London: Elek.

Johnson, J.S. 1980. Later Roman Britain. London: Routledge.

*Jones, M. 1996. The End of Roman Britain. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

*Maxfield, V.A. 1989. The Saxon Shore: A Handbook. Exeter: University of Exeter.

Moorhead, S. and Studdart D. 2010. AD 410: the Year that Shook Rome. London.

Pearson, A. 2002. The Roman Shore Forts. Stroud: Tempus.

White, R. 2007. Britannia Prima. Stroud: Tempus.

RELIGION AND BURIALS

Green, M.J. 1976. A corpus of religious material from the civilian areas of Roman Britain. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.

Green, M.J. 1978. A corpus of small cult-objects from the military areas of Roman Britain. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.

Henig, M.E.1984. Religion in Roman Britain. London: Batsford.

Irby-Massie, G. 1998. Military Religion in Roman Britain. Leiden: Brill.

*Philpott, R. 1991. Burial practices in Roman Britain. Oxford: BAR.

Reece, R. (ed) 1977. Burial in the Roman World. London: CBA.

Rodwell, W. 1980. Temples, churches and religion in Roman Britain. Oxford: BAR.

*Thomas, A.C. 1985. Christianity in Roman Britain to AD 500. London: Batsford.

Watts, D. 1991. Christians and Pagans in Roman Britain. London: Routledge.

Woodward, A. 1992. English Heritage book of shrines and sacrifice. London: English Heritage.