Roman Frontier Archaeology – in Britain and Beyond

Contributions by leading archaeologists and historians pay tribute to Paul Bidwell, admired for his ground-breaking work both in the south-west and the military north of Roman Britain. This collection will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in either the civil or military aspects of Roman Britain, or the frontiers of th

Roman Frontier Archaeology – in Britain and beyond gathers contributions by some 30 leading archaeologists and historians in honour of Paul Bidwell. In a wide-ranging career Paul has been one of the leading excavators and pottery specialists of his generation, admired for his ground-breaking work both in the south-west and the military north of Roman Britain. Contributions reflect the wide range of Paul Bidwell’s interests. Studies of samian pottery use, coins, carved stone pinecones, multi-piece bone dice and agricultural strategies shed light on the economy and everyday life of a Roman frontier province. For the civil southern part of the province there are studies of place-names and various aspects of the public baths of the Roman cities, as well as the impact of changing sea-levels on coastal topography. A number of contributions focus on the problems of the military north and Hadrian’s Wall, including studies of the nineteenth century antiquarian pioneers and assessments of the purpose of the Wall, the possibility of destructive attacks by an enemy, the way in which Roman forts were designed, and the use of Iron Age tradition military gear by the Roman army. The papers also take us beyond Britannia to consider developments on and beyond Rome’s Eastern, Danube and North African frontiers. The collection will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in either the civil or military aspects of Roman Britain, or the frontiers of the Roman empire. Paul Bidwell (1949-2022) Tragically Paul Bidwell died after a short illness in November 2022 soon after being presented with this book by his friends and colleagues. What was conceived as a gesture to honour Paul has become, in effect, a monument to one of the most respected Roman archaeologists of his generation, and a testament to the wide range of his archaeological interests and achievements.

Introduction Paul Bidwell - archaeologist The work of TWM Archaeology in the developer-funded field from the perspective of a practising contracting archaeologist - Jonathan McKelvey Bibliography of the published works of Paul Bidwell The pre-Roman Iron Age Late Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement in lowland North-East England - D.H. Heslop Studies in material and scientific evidence A small forest of pines: pinecone motifs in Romano-British sculpture - Lindsay Allason-Jones Paying the army: thoughts on the Annona Militaris and the supply of goods to the northern frontier in Britain - Richard Brickstock Pot mends and repaired pottery from South Shields Roman Fort - Alex Croom Interpreting the samian stamps from South Shields and the supply-chain to Hadrian's Wall and the hinterland forts - Geoffrey B. Dannell and Allard W. Mees Composite dice from Roman Britain - Stephen Greep Defending the Walls: experiments with replica hand launched Roman weaponry - Bill Griffiths Southern art on the northern frontier: a remarkable Iron Age harness fitting from Doune Roman fort - Fraser Hunter with an appendix by Mary Davis and contributions by Alan Braby, Neil McLean and Lore Troalen Crop prevalence and surplus production in Roman and medieval Northeast England - Marijke van der Veen Southern Britain Failed and failing bath-houses in late first century Britain - Michael Fulford The public baths of Cirencester: antiquarian records and modern interpretation - Neil Holbrook Forty years on: some Roman placenames of South West England four decades after Rivet and Smith - F.M. Griffith Research on the effects of relative sea-level change on the River Exe estuary in the mid-1st century: implications for the location of Roman sea-port and barge-quay facilities serving the Neronian fortress of Legio II Augusta at Exeter - Stephen J. Kaye and John Pamment Salvatore Antiquarian matters Death by quarrying: damage to Hadrian's Wall at Walltown and the artists who recorded its earlier life - David J. Breeze 'A most interesting and valuable piece of workmanship': John Collingwood Bruce's 'cabinet' and its treasurised bindings - Roger Miket Hadrian's Wall in 1801: The accounts of William Hutton and John Skinner - Tony Wilmott The Roman military north The culture of command in the 4th and 5th centuries in northern Britannia - Rob Collins Hadrian and the Ocean - Richard Hingley The art of the mensores: the design of the Roman forts at Wallsend and South Shields - Nick Hodgson The present as epilogue: urban conflict and the 'Corbridge destruction deposit' - Alistair McCluskey Unravelling the North Tyne crossings of the Stanegate - John Poulter Declining military vici and emerging markets at forts on the North British frontier: two case studies - Margaret Snape Was Hadrian's Wall a response to a military threat? - Matthew Symonds Cade's Road - the 'missing' forts and other thoughts on the deployment of the Roman army in Northern England - Pete Wilson Other frontiers Military activities at the western frontier of Roman Dacia - Eduard Nemeth A view from beyond Rome's southern frontier: technological exchange and trade with the Kingdom of Kush - Derek A. Welsby and Isabella Welsby Sjostrom Strategic surprise and John Lydus: Constantine's 'last plans' - Everett L. Wheeler, Introduction Paul Bidwell – archaeologist ;
The work of TWM Archaeology in the developer-funded field from the perspective of a practising contracting archaeologist – Jonathan McKelvey Bibliography of the published works of Paul Bidwell ;
The pre-Roman Iron Age Late Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement in lowland North-East England – D.H. Heslop Studies in material and scientific evidence A small forest of pines: pinecone motifs in Romano-British sculpture – Lindsay Allason-Jones Paying the army: thoughts on the Annona Militaris and the supply of goods to the northern frontier in Britain – Richard Brickstock Pot mends and repaired pottery from South Shields Roman Fort – Alex Croom Interpreting the samian stamps from South Shields and the supply-chain to Hadrian’s Wall and the hinterland forts – Geoffrey B. Dannell and Allard W. Mees Composite dice from Roman Britain – Stephen Greep Defending the Walls: experiments with replica hand launched Roman weaponry – Bill Griffiths Southern art on the northern frontier: a remarkable Iron Age harness fitting from Doune Roman fort – Fraser Hunter with an appendix by Mary Davis and contributions by Alan Braby, Neil McLean and Lore Troalen Crop prevalence and surplus production in Roman and medieval Northeast England – Marijke van der Veen Southern Britain Failed and failing bath-houses in late first century Britain – Michael Fulford The public baths of Cirencester: antiquarian records and modern interpretation – Neil Holbrook Forty years on: some Roman placenames of South West England four decades after Rivet and Smith – F.M. Griffith Research on the effects of relative sea-level change on the River Exe estuary in the mid-1st century: implications for the location of Roman sea-port and barge-quay facilities serving the Neronian fortress of Legio II Augusta at Exeter – Stephen J. Kaye and John Pamment Salvatore Antiquarian matters Death by quarrying: damage to Hadrian’s Wall at Walltown and the artists who recorded its earlier life – David J. Breeze ‘A most interesting and valuable piece of workmanship’: John Collingwood Bruce’s ‘cabinet’ and its treasurised bindings – Roger Miket Hadrian’s Wall in 1801: The accounts of William Hutton and John Skinner – Tony Wilmott The Roman military north The culture of command in the 4th and 5th centuries in northern Britannia – Rob Collins Hadrian and the Ocean – Richard Hingley The art of the mensores: the design of the Roman forts at Wallsend and South Shields – Nick Hodgson The present as epilogue: urban conflict and the ‘Corbridge destruction deposit’ – Alistair McCluskey Unravelling the North Tyne crossings of the Stanegate – John Poulter Declining military vici and emerging markets at forts on the North British frontier: two case studies – Margaret Snape Was Hadrian’s Wall a response to a military threat? – Matthew Symonds Cade’s Road – the ‘missing’ forts and other thoughts on the deployment of the Roman army in Northern England – Pete Wilson Other frontiers Military activities at the western frontier of Roman Dacia – Eduard Nemeth A view from beyond Rome’s southern frontier: technological exchange and trade with the Kingdom of Kush – Derek A. Welsby and Isabella Welsby Sjöström Strategic surprise and John Lydus: Constantine’s ‘last plans’ – Everett L. Wheeler