The Romanization of Britain : An Essay in Archaeological Interpretation

This book sets out to provide a new synthesis of recent archaeological work in Roman Britain. The collected data are interpreted afresh with particular emphasis on the processes by which the archaeological evidence reflects social and economic organisation.

The Romanization of Britain is an innovative study of cultural change and interaction. While there are many narrative histories of Roman Britain, this synthesis of the latest archaeological work presents the evidence in a new and provocative way. Dr Millett examines the romanization of Britain as a social process, and from a local perspective, by looking in detail at patterns of interaction between Roman imperialism and the native Roman population. Wide-ranging and extensive data from archaeology, historical sources and inscriptions are interpreted through anthropological and socio-economic models. The focus is, however, always on the excavated material, providing a clear explanation for it without overemphasis on the literary sources. All the distinctive aspects of Romano-British life are covered, including pottery production and trade, civic organization and building, and the military presence and its integration. The experience of Roman Britain is also used for more general conclusions about the nature of romanization throughout the Roman Empire.