Britain and the Roman World

Module code: AR3607

This module builds on what you learned in earlier modules about the Roman world (such as AR1603 Introduction to Classical Archaeology andAR2607 Archaeology of Roman World). In this module, you will take a deep dive into the detailed evidence from one particular frontier province, Britain. The archaeology of Britain in the Roman era is rich, though sometimes very different to that of the core Mediterranean provinces of the empire. The module will highlight some of the distinctive aspects of Britain under Rome – this was for instance a heavily garrisoned province and one of the last major acquisitions of territory by the empire. There are significant regional differences in urban and rural development across the islands and urban, rural and military communities seem to have embraced different aspects of material culture and behaviours in seeking to define their identity – rather than there being an overall ‘process’ of assimilation (often referred to as Romanisation). This module will explore new thinking on the nature of the experience of Roman imperialism and how colonialist discourses still impact the interpretation of evidence today.

Learning material for this module includes recorded lectures, guided readings and exercises designed by our academics and delivered through our virtual learning environment. In this module you will complete two different assessments: an essay exploring a key theme relating to Britain in the Roman empire, and a presentation focusing on a debates about identity and/or decolonisation.