Research highlight:
diverse Roman Britain

This research project, an innovative combination of scientific and archaeological techniques, was led by Dr Hella Eckardt of the 桃色视频.

 Dr Eckardt and her colleagues combined the analysis of archaeological finds such as grave goods and burial rites with forensic assessments of skeletal remains. These included studying the geographical origins of 150 individuals from late Roman Britain by measuring the levels of particular chemical markers (isotopes) in their bones and teeth. 

Migration from across the Roman Empire

They found that a significant number of the individuals were migrants, many with mixed-race ancestry, particularly in the late Roman settlements of York and Winchester. Significantly, the migrant populations also included women and children, which conflicts with the popular view that it was mainly adult males who moved across the Roman Empire.

&苍产蝉辫;鈥�There is no doubt that there were people from other parts of the world in Roman Britain. There was already evidence from inscriptions 鈥� for example, North Africans are attested on Hadrian鈥檚 Wall 鈥� but our research shows the presence of people from areas such as Germany, Poland, and the Middle East, as well as from Africa. There was undoubtedly more diversity among Romano-British populations than previously thought,鈥� explains Dr Eckardt, who recently won the prestigious Current Archaeology 鈥楢rchaeologist of the Year鈥� award.

Bringing history to life and changing perceptions

As part of the project, the team brought the stories of some Roman Britons to life, including the 鈥業vory Bangle Lady鈥�, a mixed-race female from York who had been buried with rich exotic and local artefacts. The Ivory Bangle Lady now features in educational workshops and a video, which has been shared widely on social media. Dr Eckardt says: 鈥渟he illustrates African migration, possibly in the second generation, as well as female mobility and high status.鈥�

The success of this project has led to follow-on-funding from AHRC and a collaboration with the Runnymede Trust that has helped develop a range of online and museum teaching resources that have been shared with thousands of school children. The website is changing teachers鈥� and children鈥檚 view of the Romans, providing engaging educational materials on migration, diversity and archaeological evidence. Thanks to widespread media coverage, the research findings have changed public perceptions.

Creating controversy

But not everyone has been willing to accept the team鈥檚 findings. Some people feel that educational materials depicting African Romans are a product of 鈥榩olitical correctness鈥�, and that immigrants would not have held positions of authority.

A 鈥楾witter-storm鈥� erupted in August 2017 over a BBC cartoon which depicted a high-ranking black soldier in Roman Britain. But, says Dr Eckardt the cartoon and, more than that, its underpinning research, is: 鈥渆ntirely accurate. The vehemence of some responses just goes to show how fascinating Roman Britain is to so many people and how relevant archaeological research can be to current debates.鈥�

• Dr Eckardt worked with colleagues Drs Mary Lewis and Gundula M眉ldner in an AHRC-funded project on mobility and diversity in Roman Britain.
• These included studying the geographical origins of 150 individuals from late Roman Britain by measuring the levels of particular chemical markers (isotopes) in their bones and teeth.
• The new findings has led to follow-on-funding from AHRC and a collaboration with the Runnymede Trust  also prompted a redesign of the 鈥楶eople of Roman York鈥� gallery at the Yorkshire Museum, as part of a complete refurbishment in 2010
• The new 鈥楶eople of Roman York鈥� gallery display features the skulls, facial reconstructions and 鈥榣ife-stories鈥� of six individuals studied by the research team, highlighting the diversity of the Roman population