Roman Britain: Life at the Edge of Empire

This is an accessible, highly illustrated introduction to the history, society, culture and art of Britain when it was a province of the Roman Empire. This is a readable and attractive presentation of Britain's Roman heritage. This is a high-profile subject, as 2010 is the 1600th anniversary of the end of Roman Britain. This title contains beautiful new photography of recently discovered artefacts. Based on the latest research, this is the first all-new book on this subject published by the British Museum in nearly 20 years. For nearly four centuries, Britain was a province on the outer edge of the Roman Empire and developed a distinctively Romano-British culture and way of life. Using the archaeological evidence, ancient written sources and the latest research on surviving artefacts from a child's leather shoe to fascinating letters, from the monumental bronze head of the emperor Hadrian to hoards of stunning gold and silver a picture of Roman Britain is brought vividly to life. Whether for a Roman soldier on the northern frontier or a native British farmer; for a pagan British king or a Christian Roman lady living in a villa, the diversity of lifestyles, experiences and cultures is revealed. Native British traditions of trade and craftsmanship merged with the imported Roman styles and practices to create a unique cultural synthesis, the legacy of which is still visible today in British landscapes, architecture, art and society. Ralph Jackson and Richard Hobbs are curators of Romano-British antiquities in the British Museum. Ralph Jackson is also author of BM Research Publication "181: Cosmetic Sets of Late Iron Age and Roman Britain", which will be published August 2010.