Skip to Main Content

Objects and Identities: Roman Britain and the North-Western Provinces

Online ISBN:
9780191804854
Print ISBN:
9780199693986
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

Objects and Identities: Roman Britain and the North-Western Provinces

Hella Eckardt
Hella Eckardt

Associate Professor in Roman Archaeology

Associate Professor in Roman Archaeology, University of Reading
Find on
Published online:
16 March 2015
Published in print:
27 November 2014
Online ISBN:
9780191804854
Print ISBN:
9780199693986
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

This book explores ancient Rome's northern provinces through the portable artefacts people used and left behind. Objects are crucial to our understanding of the past, and can be used to explore interlinking aspects of identity. For example, can we identify incomers? How are exotic materials (such as amber and ivory) and objects depicting ‘the exotic’ (e.g. Africans) consumed? Do regional styles exist below the homogenising influence of Roman trade? How do all these aspects of identity interact with others, such as status, gender, and age? This book combines theoretical awareness and a willingness to engage with questions of social and cultural identity with a thorough investigation into the well-published but underused material culture of Rome's northern provinces. Pottery and coins, the dominant categories of many other studies, have here been largely excluded in favour of small portable objects such as items of personal adornment, amulets, and writing equipment. The case studies included were chosen because they relate to specific, often interlinking aspects of identity such as provincial, elite, regional, or religious identity. Their meaning is explored in their own right and in depth, and in careful examination of their contexts.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close