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REVIEW BY MIRANDA ALDHOUSE-GREEN
This monograph examines the important, yet underestimated subject of the magical objects that form part of the archaeological footprint left by Roman Britons. It focuses on – so often neglected – small objects that form a fascinating tapestry of personal implements associated with the arcane mysteries of magic: miniature ‘charms’ (often of a sexual nature), drilled animal- teeth, amulets, gemstones, bells, curses, prayers, and special, electrostatic materials, such as amber and jet. But, given that this book is shot through with countless references to deities, I am surprised that, right at the beginning of the work, the author states that his position on magic is that it is not connected with religion. I find this difficult to fathom.
One prominent issue raised in Magic in Roman Britain is the value of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), which encourages metal-detectorists and other amateur groups to register their finds with museums or field units. This scheme has led to a burgeoning amount of material being brought into the light of day, much of which makes a fundamental contribution to this book. The author and publisher are to be commended for the superb illustrations, which provide so much information about seemingly obscure artefacts. The chapter headings, such as ‘Teething Problems’, ‘Sound and Motion’, and ‘Uncanny Stones’ open intriguing windows on their content. There is a further type of object that I think should be included: miniature replicas of weapons and tools.
This book would be all the more useful had the ‘Further Reading’ section been more comprehensive. Important volumes, such as Martin Henig’s seminal publication on gemstones, published in BAR in 1978, and Bernard Mees’ Celtic Curses (2009) are examples that should have been included. In addition, several authors are mentioned by name in the text but are not included in the reading list: this might be irritating to those who are keen to explore further. Finally, this important book is marred by a lack of careful proofreading, either by the author or the publisher. There are several errors, which should have been identified before publication.
Magic in Roman Britain
Adam Parker
Amberley Press, £15.99
ISBN 978-1398120815
