- Roman Britain, Decline and Fall of the Western Empire, Roman military archaeology, Celtic Archaeology, Early medieval Britain (Archaeology), Classical Archaeology, and 43 moreAnthropology, Material Culture Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, Hadrian's Wall (Archaeology), Archaeology, Roman Army, Post-Roman Britain, Anthropology of Borders, Roman Frontiers (Archaeology), Roman numismatics and archaeology, Roman military equipment, Roman Small Finds, Late Antique Archaeology, The end of Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine Studies, Roman Provincial Archaeology, Late Roman Archaeology, Late Roman Empire, Late Roman Army, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, Late Roman Britain, Roman Limes, Barbarians, Crossbow brooches, Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, Penannular Brooches, Roman Archaeology, Borders and Frontiers, Frontier Studies, Barbaricum, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, Archaeology Of The Migration Period And The Early Middle Ages, Greek and Roman Sexualities, Depictions of Archaeology in Popular Culture, Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman military history, Guerrilla Warfare, Arthurian Britain, Fantasy Literature, Early Medieval Scotland, and Notitia Dignitatumedit
- Lecturer in Archaeology in the School of History, Classics & Archaeology at Newcastle University. Previous employme... moreLecturer in Archaeology in the School of History, Classics & Archaeology at Newcastle University.
Previous employment has been as the post-doctoral Research Associate as the Great North Museum Academic Liaison Officer, and on the Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative (FREDHI), both at Newcastle University. Before taking up employment with Newcastle University, I was the Finds Liason Officer, North East (England) for the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
At a general level, I am interested in cultural transformation and transition, particularly in reference to frontiers, core-periphery relations, the decline/collapse of complex societies, and the integration of social theory with empirical data.
More specifically, I have a passion for Hadrian's Wall and other Roman frontiers and their military communities, and the impact that the 'end of the Roman West' had on these communities.
I completed my BA in Anthropology at SUNY Geneseo (2000) and MA in Medieval Archaeology at the University of York (2001). In 2008, I was awarded a PhD for my thesis, Decline, Collapse, or Transformation? Hadrian's Wall in the 4th-5th Centuries, also completed at the University of York.edit
The Roman period witnessed massive changes in the human-material environment, from monumentalised cityscapes to standardised low-value artefacts like pottery. This book explores new perspectives to understand this Roman ‘object boom’ and... more
The Roman period witnessed massive changes in the human-material environment, from monumentalised cityscapes to standardised low-value artefacts like pottery. This book explores new perspectives to understand this Roman ‘object boom’ and its impact on Roman history. In particular, the book’s international contributors question the traditional dominance of ‘representation’ in Roman archaeology, whereby objects have come to stand for social phenomena such as status, facets of group identity, or notions like Romanisation and economic growth. Drawing upon the recent material turn in anthropology and related disciplines, the essays in this volume examine what it means to materialise Roman history, focusing on the question of what objects do in history, rather than what they represent. In challenging the dominance of representation, and exploring themes such as the impact of standardisation and the role of material agency, Materialising Roman History is essential reading for anyone studying material culture from the Roman world (and beyond).
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There is no synthetic or comprehensive treatment of any late Roman frontier in the English language to date, despite the political and economic significance of the frontiers in the late antique period. Examining Hadrian’s Wall and the... more
There is no synthetic or comprehensive treatment of any late Roman frontier in the English language to date, despite the political and economic significance of the frontiers in the late antique period. Examining Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman frontier of northern England from the fourth century into the Early Medieval period, this book investigates a late frontier in transition from an imperial border zone to incorporation into Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, using both archaeological and documentary evidence. With an emphasis on the late Roman occupation and Roman military, it places the frontier in the broader imperial context.
In contrast to other works, Hadrian’s Wall and the End of Empire challenges existing ideas of decline, collapse, and transformation in the Roman period, as well as its impact on local frontier communities. Author Rob Collins analyzes in detail the limitanei, the frontier soldiers of the late empire essential for the successful maintenance of the frontiers, and the relationship between imperial authorities and local frontier dynamics. Finally, the impact of the end of the Roman period in Britain is assessed, as well as the influence that the frontier had on the development of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria.
In contrast to other works, Hadrian’s Wall and the End of Empire challenges existing ideas of decline, collapse, and transformation in the Roman period, as well as its impact on local frontier communities. Author Rob Collins analyzes in detail the limitanei, the frontier soldiers of the late empire essential for the successful maintenance of the frontiers, and the relationship between imperial authorities and local frontier dynamics. Finally, the impact of the end of the Roman period in Britain is assessed, as well as the influence that the frontier had on the development of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria.
Research Interests: Early Medieval Archaeology, Post-Roman Britain, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Roman Britain, and 10 moreRoman military archaeology, Decline and Fall of the Western Empire, The end of Roman Britain, Roman Frontiers (Archaeology), Hadrian's Wall (Archaeology), Late Roman Army, Borders and Frontiers, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, and Roman Archaeology
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Finds from the Frontier brings together papers given at a conference held at Newcastle upon Tyne in 2008. Its aim is to elucidate the life of the 4th-century limitanei of Britain through their material culture. The papers consider whether... more
Finds from the Frontier brings together papers given at a conference held at Newcastle upon Tyne in 2008. Its aim is to elucidate the life of the 4th-century limitanei of Britain through their material culture. The papers consider whether the excavated artefacts justify the traditional implication that the period is one of declining standards and largely come to the conclusion that, on the contrary, the period was rich in artefacts that have much to tell us about the late frontier.
Research Interests: Late Antiquity, Roman Britain, Roman military archaeology, Roman Frontiers (Archaeology), Hadrian's Wall (Archaeology), and 8 moreLate Roman Pottery, Roman Glass, Roman Provincial Archaeology, Roman Small Finds, Roman numismatics - 4th/5th century, Roman Brooches, Roman Scotland, and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
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Freely available through open-access (see link below): The replication of objects lies at the heart of material culture research in archaeology. In particular, replication plays a key role in a number of core activities in our... more
Freely available through open-access (see link below):
The replication of objects lies at the heart of material culture research in archaeology. In particular, replication plays a key role in a number of core activities in our discipline including teaching, research, and public engagement. Despite its being fundamental to the archaeological process, however, replication comes across as an under-theorised field of artefact research. The problem is compounded by the recent development of digital technologies, which add a new layer of challenges as well as opportunities to the long-established practice of making and using physical copies of objects. The paper discusses a number of issues with artefact replication including aims, design, and methodology, from the standpoint of two research projects currently coordinated by the authors: the Bronze Age Combat project, which explores prehistoric fighting techniques through field experiments and wear analysis (Dolfini); and the NU Digital Heritage project, which centres upon the digital capture and modelling of Roman material culture from Hadrian’s Wall (Collins). Both projects have actively created replicas in physical or digital media, and direct comparison of the two projects provide a number of useful lessons regarding the role, uses, and limits of artefact replication in archaeology.
The replication of objects lies at the heart of material culture research in archaeology. In particular, replication plays a key role in a number of core activities in our discipline including teaching, research, and public engagement. Despite its being fundamental to the archaeological process, however, replication comes across as an under-theorised field of artefact research. The problem is compounded by the recent development of digital technologies, which add a new layer of challenges as well as opportunities to the long-established practice of making and using physical copies of objects. The paper discusses a number of issues with artefact replication including aims, design, and methodology, from the standpoint of two research projects currently coordinated by the authors: the Bronze Age Combat project, which explores prehistoric fighting techniques through field experiments and wear analysis (Dolfini); and the NU Digital Heritage project, which centres upon the digital capture and modelling of Roman material culture from Hadrian’s Wall (Collins). Both projects have actively created replicas in physical or digital media, and direct comparison of the two projects provide a number of useful lessons regarding the role, uses, and limits of artefact replication in archaeology.
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in D. Breeze, R. Jones, and I. Oltean (eds.) Understanding Roman Frontiers, Edinburgh: Birlinn
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Recent examination of the penannular brooches found in the northern granary at the fort of Birdoswald on Hadrian’s Wall has prompted reclassification of the some of these brooches. The new classifications. are significant, providing... more
Recent examination of the penannular brooches found in the northern granary at the fort of Birdoswald on Hadrian’s Wall has prompted reclassification of the some of these brooches. The new classifications. are significant, providing further important contextual dating information for the brooch type, which is considered in light of other discoveries of the same brooch type elsewhere in the northern frontier region, notably at South Shields. The contextual evidence suggests that Fowler type E and D7 variant penannular brooches, at least in the northern frontier, can be dated to the last third of the fourth century, making these brooch types key artefacts in identifying strata dating to the final
decades of Roman rule of Britain.
decades of Roman rule of Britain.
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Research Interests: Sociology of the Military, Sociology of Identity, Archaeological Method & Theory, Roman military archaeology, Occupational Community, and 5 moreDecline and Fall of the Western Empire, Roman Frontiers (Archaeology), Hadrian's Wall (Archaeology), Archaeology of Identity, and Archaeology of Societal Collapse
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By the 4th century AD, most of Rome’s frontiers had been in operation for 200 years or more, and political circumstances had changed significantly from the 2nd century. Emperors in the 4th century frequently campaigned in the frontier,... more
By the 4th century AD, most of Rome’s frontiers had been in operation for 200 years or more, and political circumstances had changed significantly from the 2nd century. Emperors in the 4th century frequently campaigned in the frontier, and it was dangerous to ignore any one frontier sector for too long or withdraw troops for activity elsewhere.
Troop withdrawal is typically understood as the main reason for the collapse of any frontier. But is the removal of soldiers and/or the introduction of new soldiers (including barbarian foederati) necessary to understand transformation in the frontiers? This paper will propose a model of frontier stability as a means of qualifying transformation in the archaeological record. It draws upon research from Hadrian’s Wall and the frontier of northern Britannia, but has potential application for every frontier of the later Roman Empire.
Troop withdrawal is typically understood as the main reason for the collapse of any frontier. But is the removal of soldiers and/or the introduction of new soldiers (including barbarian foederati) necessary to understand transformation in the frontiers? This paper will propose a model of frontier stability as a means of qualifying transformation in the archaeological record. It draws upon research from Hadrian’s Wall and the frontier of northern Britannia, but has potential application for every frontier of the later Roman Empire.
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The Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative at Newcastle University was established to deliver new digital resources to enhance research and teaching in 2013. While involved in a number of endeavours, NU Digital... more
The Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative at Newcastle University was established to deliver new digital resources to enhance research and teaching in 2013. While involved in a number of endeavours, NU Digital Heritage was established to digitally capture and disseminate 3D-models of material culture from Hadrian’s Wall.
The first phase of the project has delivered approximately 50 models of altars, tombstones, dedications, and sculptures. Perhaps more significantly, in the project’s second phase a method was established for 3D-scanning of objects made of metal and other reflective materials. During a pilot study, approximately 10 models of military equipment and related objects from the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne was scanned and processed.
This paper will provide an overview of NU Digital Heritage, addressing the challenges and benefits of 3D-scanning. Particular emphasis will be placed on the scanning of artefacts.
The first phase of the project has delivered approximately 50 models of altars, tombstones, dedications, and sculptures. Perhaps more significantly, in the project’s second phase a method was established for 3D-scanning of objects made of metal and other reflective materials. During a pilot study, approximately 10 models of military equipment and related objects from the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne was scanned and processed.
This paper will provide an overview of NU Digital Heritage, addressing the challenges and benefits of 3D-scanning. Particular emphasis will be placed on the scanning of artefacts.
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The paper examines the landscape of Hadrian's Wall, exploring the means by which the landscape can be identified as a frontier, considering the evidence from topography, place-names, and archaeology (Iron Age through post-Roman). Layering... more
The paper examines the landscape of Hadrian's Wall, exploring the means by which the landscape can be identified as a frontier, considering the evidence from topography, place-names, and archaeology (Iron Age through post-Roman). Layering of this evidence is key to disentangling concepts of boundary, frontier and transitional space, particularly as they relate to ancient cultures and modern perceptions.
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By the 4th century, the officer corps of the army was professional and composed of career soldiers. These were men that commanded the frontier soldiers, the limitanei, and provided the vital link between the realpolitik of the frontiers... more
By the 4th century, the officer corps of the army was professional and composed of career soldiers. These were men that commanded the frontier soldiers, the limitanei, and provided the vital link between the realpolitik of the frontiers and policies formed in the imperial court. Textual sources point to the increasing power of frontier commanders beyond the strict remit of their military authority, and the archaeology provides us with another dataset by which we can interrogate this vital class of late antique elite. In the northern provinces of the Britains, notably along Hadrian's Wall and within the forts in its southern hinterland, decades of archaeological investigation have provided a large (if fragmentary) sample of excavated praetoria, commanding officers' houses. Through the course of the 4th century, reductions in opulence and even the overall size and form of these houses suggest a change in the presentation of officer power, a conclusion further reinforced by the small finds evidence. The changes observed in the archaeology will be considered in the context of a late Roman frontier and the overall politics of the later Roman empire and support a conclusion that in many parts of the Roman West, it was the military officer class and not the land-owning gentry that had enduring significance in defining romanitas in the post-Roman transition.
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The subjects of the human sexuality, flexible gender identities and the past attitudes towards sex and sexuality has become the trend in the contemporary theoretical vocabulary of art historians and classical archaeologists alike (Clarke... more
The subjects of the human sexuality, flexible gender identities and the past attitudes towards sex and sexuality has become the trend in the contemporary theoretical vocabulary of art historians and classical archaeologists alike (Clarke 2001, 2003; Flemming 2010; Williams 2010; Conde Feitosa 2013; Masterson et al. 2015). Books and exhibitions on Classical eroticism and sexuality have become more commonplace in the past decade, but the subjects relating to constructions of gender and sex identities has yet to penetrate very deeply into Roman provincial studies. The session’s goal is to critically consider the gender and sexual behavior in the provinces in light of recent studies on Roman sexuality and flux gender identities. Specifically, the panel investigates whether one can talk of the extension of the traditional Romano-Hellenistic model to the provinces or more of a ‘provincialization’ or ‘barbarization’ of sex and gender identities similar to other well-known aspects of cultural negotiation and syncretism in the provinces. In this light, the session seeks to ask a number of questions:
- How were gender(s) and sexuality perceived and represented in the provinces during the Roman imperial era?
- What is the evidence for non-Roman, or rather ‘provincial’ or ‘barbarian’ gender constructs, sex and familial relations?
- What impact(s) do historical events and trends have upon sex, gender, and familial relationships during the course of empire, for example with the extension of citizenship or the spread of Christianity?
- What is the role of objects bearing images of genitalia or sex acts, or allusions to such activities, in the constructions of sexual and gender identities in provinces?
- How were gender(s) and sexuality perceived and represented in the provinces during the Roman imperial era?
- What is the evidence for non-Roman, or rather ‘provincial’ or ‘barbarian’ gender constructs, sex and familial relations?
- What impact(s) do historical events and trends have upon sex, gender, and familial relationships during the course of empire, for example with the extension of citizenship or the spread of Christianity?
- What is the role of objects bearing images of genitalia or sex acts, or allusions to such activities, in the constructions of sexual and gender identities in provinces?
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Hadrian's Wall is an iconic monument, and the impressive remains of the Wall were inscribed in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Wall is typically perceived of as a complex of Roman frontier remains, studied by archaeologists... more
Hadrian's Wall is an iconic monument, and the impressive remains of the Wall were inscribed in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The Wall is typically perceived of as a complex of Roman frontier remains, studied by archaeologists and historians, and protected by heritage managers for the benefit of scholars, visitors, and future generations.
Over the centuries, however, Hadrian's Wall has accumulated a number of intangible associations in addition to its original function as a militarised border monument.
From the Venerable Bede to Rosemary Sutcliff, and from Gildas to George R.R. Martin, the Wall has become a site of international cultural significance. How has the Wall shaped our cultural imaginary? And how has our cultural imaginary shaped the Wall?
Join us as we explore the cultural impact of Hadrian's Wall from its Roman origins up to the present day in a conference at Newcastle University, 15-17 June 2016.
The Wall is typically perceived of as a complex of Roman frontier remains, studied by archaeologists and historians, and protected by heritage managers for the benefit of scholars, visitors, and future generations.
Over the centuries, however, Hadrian's Wall has accumulated a number of intangible associations in addition to its original function as a militarised border monument.
From the Venerable Bede to Rosemary Sutcliff, and from Gildas to George R.R. Martin, the Wall has become a site of international cultural significance. How has the Wall shaped our cultural imaginary? And how has our cultural imaginary shaped the Wall?
Join us as we explore the cultural impact of Hadrian's Wall from its Roman origins up to the present day in a conference at Newcastle University, 15-17 June 2016.