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| Roman Britain Research Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Roman Britain Research Association |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Research association |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Fields | Roman archaeology, Romano-British studies |
Roman Britain Research Association is a learned society devoted to the study of Roman-period archaeology in the islands of Britain. It promotes fieldwork, publication, and public engagement across sites such as Hadrian's Wall, Bath and Colchester while liaising with institutions like the British Museum, English Heritage, and the University of Oxford. The association serves as a network connecting archaeologists, historians, curators, antiquarians and heritage bodies including the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Royal Archaeological Institute and regional museums.
Founded in the later 20th century, the association traces intellectual lineage to earlier bodies such as the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Council for British Archaeology and the pioneering fieldwork of figures associated with John Ward and the excavations at Vindolanda. Early members had links to excavations at Chester Roman Amphitheatre, Silchester, Caerleon and research promoted by universities including University of Cambridge, University of Durham and University College London. Over subsequent decades the association adapted to shifts driven by policy frameworks from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and conservation programmes at National Trust, while engaging with legislative changes like the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
The association aims to support rigorous scholarship on Romano-British material culture, fortifications, urbanism and rural settlement. Its objectives include encouraging publication in venues associated with the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, Antiquity and regional records such as the Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. The body promotes training linked to university departments at University of Leicester, University of York and University of Manchester and collaboration with curatorial teams at the York Archaeological Trust, Museum of London and county record offices.
Regular activities encompass archaeological fieldwork, post-excavation analysis, conservation initiatives and bibliographic projects. The association issues monographs, excavation reports and occasional papers akin to publications by the British Archaeological Reports series and collaborates on specialist studies comparable to those in Britannia. It maintains liaison with archival repositories such as the National Archives and contributes to datasets shared with the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Historic England Archive.
Annual and biennial conferences convene researchers working on sites from Caernarfon to Canterbury, featuring session themes tied to material from Londinium, frontier studies at Antonine Wall and villa studies exemplified by Bignor Roman Villa. Events often include field visits to excavations at Hadrian's Wall, museum seminars at the British Museum and workshops with the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. The association co-organises symposia with bodies such as the Roman Society, the Hellenic Society and regional archaeological trusts.
Membership spans professional archaeologists, academic researchers, avocational archaeologists and curators whose work intersects with sites like Ribchester Roman Museum, Glevum (Gloucester), St Albans (Verulamium). Governance is steered by an elected council, with officers drawn from university departments including University of Exeter, Newcastle University and Cardiff University. The association aligns ethical practice with standards issued by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and engages with funding bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The association has sponsored and participated in major projects on frontier archaeology, landscape survey and artefact studies. Collaborations have linked teams working at Vindolanda, the Housesteads Roman Fort, rural villa landscapes like Chedworth Roman Villa and urban excavations in Roman Colchester. Research partnerships include joint initiatives with the University of Leicester’s archaeology unit, conservation science labs at the British Museum and digital humanities groups using GIS capabilities pioneered in projects with Historic England. The association contributes to comparative studies involving the Roman Empire’s provinces such as Gaul, Hispania, Germania and engages with international institutions like the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut and the Institut für Klassische Archäologie.
Notable contributions include synthesis volumes on Romano-British pottery typology, field reports influencing heritage management at Hadrian's Wall and methodological advances in geoarchaeology and dendrochronology applied to timber structures at Vindolanda and Carlisle (Roman) sites. The association’s outputs have informed exhibitions at the British Museum and Roman Baths, Bath and have underpinned teaching modules at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and University of York. Its role in fostering networks between the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies (the Roman Society), county archaeologists and museum curators has strengthened both research dissemination and public understanding of Romano-British heritage.
Category:Archaeological organizations Category:History of Roman Britain