Journal of Roman Studies

Journal of Roman Studies
Title	Journal of Roman Studies
Discipline	Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology
Language	English
Abbreviation	JRS
Publisher	Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
Country	United Kingdom
History	1911–present
Frequency	Annual

Journal of Roman Studies is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in the study of Ancient Rome, combining archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, and literary analysis. It publishes research articles, excavation reports, and reviews that engage with material from the Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Late Antiquity, and Roman provinces. Contributors often address archaeological sites such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Hadrian's Wall, and Leptis Magna while interacting with scholars associated with institutions like the British Museum, British School at Rome, and University of Oxford.

History

The journal was founded in 1911 under the auspices of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and developed alongside exhibitions at the British Museum, debates in the British Academy, and excavations led by the British School at Rome and the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Early contributors included figures connected to the British Museum collections such as Arthur Evans and Percy Gardner, and the journal chronicled campaigns ranging from work at Vindolanda to digs at Ostia Antica and surveys in North Africa. Through the interwar period the journal featured research tied to discoveries at Pompeii and discussions influenced by scholars involved with the German Archaeological Institute and the French School at Rome. Post‑World War II issues reflected collaborations with the Society of Antiquaries of London, the University of Cambridge, and projects funded by bodies like the Leverhulme Trust and the British Academy.

Scope and Content

The journal covers Roman material culture, texts, inscriptions, coins, and architectural studies from republican to late antique contexts, engaging with sites such as Bath, Somerset (Aquae Sulis), Colchester (Camulodunum), Chester (Deva Victrix), and Trier (Augusta Treverorum). Articles commonly analyze epigraphic evidence from collections at the Ashmolean Museum, numismatic series referenced in the British Museum coin room, and papyrological finds connected to the Oxyrhynchus Papyri and the University of Oxford. Contributors compare literary sources by authors like Cicero, Tacitus, Livy, Ovid, and Suetonius with archaeological datasets from excavations at Leptis Magna, Sabratha, Ephesus, and Athens. The journal also publishes monograph-length articles and reviews of books by presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Brill, and Bloomsbury.

Editorial Structure and Publication Details

The editorial board is appointed by the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and includes scholars affiliated with universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Edinburgh, and King's College London. The editor liaises with reviewers drawn from institutions including the British School at Rome, the British Museum, the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, and the École française de Rome. The journal issues one volume per year and is distributed to members and libraries including the Bodleian Library, the Cambridge University Library, and the Wellcome Library. Production has historically involved printers and publishers active in London and partnerships with academic presses such as Cambridge University Press.

Indexing and Impact

The journal is indexed in bibliographic services used by classicists and archaeologists, with citations appearing in bibliographies tied to the L'Année philologique, the International Bibliography of Periodical Literature, and databases curated by the British Library. Its articles are cited in monographs on figures and subjects such as Augustus, Julius Caesar, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Constantine the Great, and themes tied to sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum. The journal's impact is reflected in references across scholarship produced at institutions including Yale University, Princeton University, Harvard University, Columbia University, and the University of Michigan.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Landmark articles have addressed topics such as the urbanism of Ostia Antica, ceramic studies from Vindolanda, epigraphic corpora from North Africa and Asia Minor, and numismatic sequences tied to emperors like Trajan, Hadrian, Nero, and Diocletian. Influential contributions have come from scholars associated with the British Museum, the British School at Rome, and universities including Oxford and Cambridge, and have shaped debates concerning inscriptions found at Aphrodisias, architectural conservation at Bath, Somerset, and chronologies for sites like Leptis Magna. The journal has also published critical editions and reviews that informed catalogues for collections at institutions such as the Ashmolean Museum and the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.

Affiliations and Sponsorship

The journal is published on behalf of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies and receives institutional support from bodies including the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust, and university departments at University College London and the University of Oxford. Collaborative links exist with the British School at Rome, the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, and museums such as the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum, and the journal often coordinates with funding bodies and heritage agencies involved with sites like Hadrian's Wall and Bath, Somerset.

Category:Classics journals Category:Academic journals established in 1911