Revealing Trimontium
The Correspondence of James Curle of Melrose, Excavator of Newstead Roman Fort
Edited by Donald Gordon Edited by Fraser Hunter Edited by Phil Freeman
Paperback (Published)
(August 2023)
ISBN: 9781803275154
6.85 x 9.69 inches
Price: $49.00
In stock
The Roman fort of Trimontium is renowned internationally thanks to the work of James Curle (1862-1944) who led the excavations of 1905-1910. This volume brings together key sets of his correspondence which cast fresh light on the intellectual networks of the early 20th century, when professional archaeology was still in its infancy.
The Roman fort of Trimontium, near the village of Newstead in the Scottish Borders, is renowned internationally thanks to the work of James Curle (1862-1944), a solicitor in nearby Melrose. He led the excavations of 1905-1910, with their spectacular discoveries, and produced an exemplary publication. This volume brings together key sets of his correspondence which illuminate his intellectual networks and connections. They reveal a web of local, national and international contacts and travels that equipped him with an impressively broad knowledge of Roman provincial archaeology and turned him into a sought-after advisor for his expertise and knowledge of a range of topics, especially Roman pottery. Yet his interests went beyond the Roman military. His early interests in Swedish archaeology were rekindled after the Trimontium excavations, with a series of papers on aspects of Viking brooches, while a long-running interest in finds of Roman material beyond the frontiers of the empire shows his concern to understand the Iron Age societies of Scotland and Scandinavia. The letters are provided with a critical apparatus to explain their context, while introductory chapters consider Curle’s background, his local links, his connections with the great Romano-British archaeologist Francis Haverfield, and his wider antiquarian networks. The letters cast fresh light on the intellectual networks of the early 20th century, when professional archaeology was still in its infancy and gifted amateurs such as James Curle played a key role in laying the foundations on which scholarship still builds today.
Foreword Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. James Curle and his Letters Chapter 3. An Introduction to Trimontium Chapter 4. James Curle and his Archaeological World Chapter 5. Curle and Haverfield Chapter 6. James Curle: A Man of Melrose Chapter 7. Glimpses of the Dramatis Personae Chapter 8. Letters to Hercules Chapter 9. From Greece and Rome Chapter 10. My Dear Haverfield Chapter 11. From Home and Abroad Chapter 12. Miscellanea Appendix. Letters between the British Museum and A.O. Curle Bibliography Index,
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. James Curle and his Letters
Chapter 3. An Introduction to Trimontium
Chapter 4. James Curle and his Archaeological World
Chapter 5. Curle and Haverfield
Chapter 6. James Curle: A Man of Melrose
Chapter 7. Glimpses of the Dramatis Personae
Chapter 8. Letters to Hercules
Chapter 9. From Greece and Rome
Chapter 10. My Dear Haverfield
Chapter 11. From Home and Abroad
Chapter 12. Miscellanea
Appendix. Letters between the British Museum and A.O. Curle
Bibliography
Index
Donald Gordon received a degree in Classics from Glasgow University, subsequently moving from teaching into Director of Education for Selkirkshire and then Deputy Director of the Borders Regional Council from 1973–95. He founded the Trimontium Trust in 1988 and served as honorary secretary until 2019, running the museum, coordinating a series of walks, talks and outings, and editing the distinctive annual Trimontium Trumpet. He was awarded an MBE in 2008 ‘for services to the Trimontium Trust and to the community in Melrose, Scottish Borders’.
Fraser Hunter is Principal Curator of Iron Age and Roman collections at National Museums Scotland, where the finds from Trimontium form the backbone of the Roman collection. He co-edited a volume to mark the centenary of Curle’s landmark publication of the site. His research interests include the impact of the Roman frontier on the local populations of Iron Age Scotland, and Iron Age and Roman material culture.
Phil Freeman is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Liverpool with strong research interests in Roman military archaeology, Roman Britain, and the history of Romano-British archaeology. He is the author of the standard book on Francis Haverfield.
- Edited by Donald Gordon
- Edited by Fraser Hunter
- Edited by Phil Freeman
'The letters are beautifully edited and presented, and the book as a whole is well-organized and easy to use.' – Martha Lovell Stewart (2024): Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal 7(1)
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