A Companion to Roman Britain

This major survey of the history and culture of Roman Britain spans the period from the first century BC to the fifth century AD.

• Major survey of the history and culture of Roman Britain
• Brings together specialists to provide an overview of recent debates about this period
• Exceptionally broad coverage, embracing political, economic, cultural and religious life
• Focuses on changes in Roman Britain from the first century BC to the fifth century AD
• Includes pioneering studies of the human population and animal resources of the island.

List of Figures ix

List of Contributors xiii

Abbreviations xv

Introduction xvii
Malcolm Todd

1 Britain and the Continent: Networks of Interaction 1
Barry Cunliffe

2 Society and Polity in Late Iron Age Britain 12
Colin Haselgrove

3 The Native Elite and their Funerary Practices from the First Century BC to Nero 30
Rosalind Niblett

4 The Claudian Conquest and its Consequences 42
Malcolm Todd

5 The Conquest of Wales 60
William Manning

6 The Roman Penetration of the North in the Late First Century AD 75
Gordon Maxwell

7 Soldier and Civilian in Wales 91
Jeffrey Davies

8 The Northern Frontier of Britain from Trajan to Antoninus Pius: Roman Builders and Native Britons 114
James Crow

9 Scotland and the Northern Frontier: Second to Fourth Centuries AD 136
W. S. Hanson

10 Cities and Urban Life 162
Michael J. Jones

11 Gallo-British Deities and their Shrines 193
Miranda Aldhouse-Green

12 Roman Religion and Roman Culture in Britain 220
Martin Henig

13 The Human Population: Health and Disease 242
Charlotte Roberts and Margaret Cox

14 The Family in Roman Britain 273
Lindsay Allason-Jones

15 Personal Ornament 288
Alexandra Croom

16 Textiles and Dress 299
John Peter Wild

17 Economic Structures 309
Michael Fulford

18 Rural Settlement in Northern Britain 327
Richard Hingley

19 Rural Settlement in Southern Britain: A Regional Survey 349
Anthony King

20 Domestic Animals and their Uses 371
Annie Grant

21 The Army in Late Roman Britain 393
Pat Southern

22 Britain in the Fourth Century 409
Simon Esmonde Cleary

23 The Final Phase 428
Ian Wood

24 The Rediscovery of Roman Britain 443
Malcolm Todd

Bibliography 460

Index 499

"This volume is an invaluable source of current research into marginal areas not often covered by other books on Roman Britain. The essays are well written, concise and take the reader straight to the heart of the matter. This volume is an excellent addition to the existing volumes in the Blackwell Companions to British History series." Reference Reviews

"The authors are leading researchers and their individual statements all contain a wealth of information and interpretation which will make the Companion a useful resource." Britannia

Malcolm Todd is an archaeologist and ancient historian. He has held chairs in the universities of Exeter and Durham, Visiting Fellowships at All Souls College and Brasenose College, Oxford, and a Senior Research Fellowship of the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust. He is the author of books on the Roman West and the early Germanic peoples, including The Early Germans (second edition, Blackwell, 2004), Migrants and Invaders (2001) and Roman Britain (third edition, Blackwell, 1999). He retired as Principal of Trevelyan College, Durham, in 2000. This major survey of the history and culture of Roman Britain spans the period from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. It brings together specialists in the field to provide an overview of recent debates about Roman Britain, synthesizing the latest research in archaeology, literature, numismatics, and history.

The contributors examine how historians’ understanding of developments in political, economic, cultural, and religious life in Roman Britain has changed over time. They also explain the evolution of the Roman British society over its 500-year existence. This Companion will be invaluable to all those interested in the history of the period and its interpretation. The pioneering studies of the human population and animal resources of the island will be of particular interest to scholars.