Roman Britain

Searching for Severus: Did a Roman emperor visit Carlisle?

Last month, CA 418 reported on excavations uncovering a sumptuous 3rd-century building at Carlisle Cricket Club. Its date coincides with the period when Septimius Severus and his family are known to have been in northern Britain, and of the emperor’s military campaigns in Caledonia. One translation of the Historia Augusta states that Severus travelled to Luguvalium, Roman Carlisle, during this visit – but is it correct? David Breeze and Alan Wilkins investigate the documentary evidence.

Roman fort revealed in Pembrokeshire?

Geophysical survey in Pembrokeshire has revealed potentially promising evidence of a previously unknown Roman fort. Dr Mark Merrony, a Fellow and Roman specialist at Wolfson College, Oxford, was examining satellite imagery of the area around a straight road, which he…

Current Archaeology’s December Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

There are many brilliant archaeological events coming up into the New Year, from new exhibitions to conferences, talks, and more. If you would prefer to get your history and heritage fix at home, though, there is a wide variety of offerings to choose from, including virtual museum- and site-tours, digital collections, podcasts, and TV shows. Amy Brunskill has put together a selection of some of the options available.

CA Letters 418 – December

Poem to remember This poem was written at a time when I was a Chemistry Lecturer at Llandaff College of Technology and also an amateur archaeologist. At the time, I marvelled that chemists were detecting cholesterol in graves where only…

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Finds Tray – Vulcan figurine

This figurine was found by a metal-detectorist near Holton-le-Clay in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire. Although it is lacking its head, enough stylistic features have survived to identify it as representing Vulcan, Roman god of fire and the forge, who lends his…

Thomas Hardy and the Druid Stone

UK news in brief

Third Roman stone head found in Carlisle excavations Excavations at Carlisle Cricket Club, which are uncovering the remains of a monumental Roman building, have produced a third carved stone head. Two mask-like sculptures had previously been found during the investigations…

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Finis Britanniae

REVIEW BY RP This book takes on a challenging and complex period of British history, beginning with the political upheaval of the 3rd century, and ending with the arrival of St Augustine in 597. The long, entangled tale of emperors,…

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A marine mosaic: Wroxeter Roman City

Stylised dolphins and fish, in contrasting hues of red, blue, and yellow, swim across a sea of white tesserae. This striking mosaic was uncovered during excavations at Wroxeter Roman City (ancient Viroconium) in a collaborative effort by the University of…

Finds Tray – Roman chatelaine

This Roman chatelaine was found in Walkeringham, Nottinghamshire, and dates to AD 100-200. Cast from copper alloy, and weighing just 7g, it is beautifully decorated with a pattern of 15 rectangular cells, some still set with the sky-blue enamel that…

Roman replicas: Recreating the Hallaton Helmet

The Hallaton Helmet, an ornately decorated piece of Roman cavalry equipment discovered in rural Leicestershire in 2000, is undeniably an important artefact – but how do you interpret its now-fragmentary imagery for museum visitors? Helen Sharp describes an initiative that created two contrasting reproductions using traditional and cutting-edge techniques.

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Current Archaeology’s September Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

There is a great selection of archaeological events coming up over the next few months, whether you’re looking for conferences, exhibitions, or heritage events for the whole family. If you would prefer to get your heritage fix from the comfort of home instead, there is plenty to choose from, including museum resources, virtual site tours, and new podcast and documentary series. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the options.

Roman wine for the Iron Age afterlife

A prehistoric cemetery excavated at Winterborne Kingston, near Bere Regis in Dorset, is providing evidence of how locals adapted during the aftermath of the Roman invasion. Among the grave goods, excavated by students from Bournemouth University and a team of…

Roman villa found near Loughborough

Archaeology students from the University of Leicester have uncovered the remains of a Roman villa in Leicestershire, near Loughborough. Clues to the villa’s presence had been surfacing for years, in the form of small finds such as coins, brooches, and…

Finds Tray – Roman glass

Found in 2019, but only recently uploaded to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website, this beautiful piece of Roman glass once formed part of a colourful bracelet. It dates to c.AD 50-200 and was discovered in East Riding, Yorkshire, as…

Building Roman Cirencester and beyond: Roman tile production in the north Wiltshire countryside

A community excavation in the small village of Minety has found a Roman tile kiln, which marked its products with a series of stamped letters. As the investigation, led by Cotswold Archaeology, revealed, this industry was of more than just local importance – and with another season of digging set to take place this summer, Neil Holbrook and Peter Warry report on the story so far.

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Current Archaeology 411

• A villa unveiled: exploring luxury living and ‘ritual activity’ in Roman Oxfordshire
• Horses in late medieval and Tudor London
• A conflict reimagined: the Roman assault on Burnswark
• A wonder of the world: London’s post-medieval waterfront
• Ringing the changes: excavating Aspull’s mystery monument