Find out more about Romans
A short guide to other websites offering useful information.
National organisations and online resources
- The Roman Society (Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies)
The Roman Society is the leading organisation in the United Kingdom for those interested in the study of Rome and the Roman Empire. Its scope is wide, covering Roman history, archaeology, literature and art down to about A.D. 700. It has a broadly based membership, drawn from over forty countries and from all ages and walks of life and publishes 'Britannia', the journal of Roman studies in Britain.
- The Association for Roman Archaeology (ARA)
ARA’s principal objective is to promote the advancement of the education of the public in the history and archaeology of the Roman period. Membership to the ARA offers FREE entrance to over 40 participating sites and museums: most of the Roman sites in Britain.
- ASPROM
The Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics. An excellent site, providing details of the best mosaics to visit in Britain, and a host of downloadable factsheets.
- British and Irish Archaeological Biography
The ADS Library brings together material from the British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB), the ADS library of unpublished fieldwork reports as well as documents from the ADS archives and archaeological publishers such as Oxbow.
- Roman Army School
For those interested in the study of the Roman army. The annual conference attracts archaeologists, historians and leading experts but is also open to anyone interested in the subject.
- Pastscape
Discover England’s rich Archaeological and Historical Heritage - courtesy of English Heritage
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is run by the British Museum and National Museum Wales to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.
- Potsherd This is a collection of pages relating to ceramics and pottery primarily of the Roman period, in Britain and western Europe. It includes an introductory Atlas of Roman Pottery, which includes the known Yorkshire sites. Well worth a look.
- Roman amphorae, a digital resource
Aimed at archaeologists unfamiliar with amphorae, curators in museums and students interested in finding their way around the subject of Roman amphorae, this resource provides sufficient basic information for the non-specialist to be able to navigate their way around the main amphora types and their often confusing naming systems, discover the main works of reference associated with them, and attempt preliminary identifications of amphora sherds.
- Roman Finds Group
The Roman Finds Group (RFG) provides a forum for all those with an interest in Roman artefacts. Founded in 1988, membership is both professional and amateur, and new members are always welcome.
- Roman Glassmakers
Specialising in researching the techniques involved in making Roman glass vessels, and in reproducing Roman glass using fusing and slumping, mould-blowing and free-blowing techniques
- Study Group for Roman Pottery
The Study Group for Roman Pottery (SGRP), was formed in 1971 to further the study of pottery of the Roman period in Britain. It provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest research, and of issues affecting the subject and its practitioners. The Annual conference and Regional meetings promote contact between specialists and the opportunity to handle pottery from different regions.
- Vindolanda Tablets Online
This online edition includes a searchable version of volumes I & II of these remarkable objects excavated at Vindolanda
- The National Roman Fabric Reference Collection: a handbook
The NRFRC, located in the British Museum, aims to provide an infrastructure for future research into Romano-British pottery, providing a standard for the identification and description of Roman pottery types. The website is an on-line version of the Handbook, last reprinted in 2002.
- The Leeds index of Samian stamps
The Leeds Index of Samian Pottery Stamps is based on the work of the late Dr Brian Hartley, compiled during the last 40 years. It collects an estimated 400,000 stamp-die records, the product of over 5,000 different potters working in the fine ware popularly called 'samian ware', or more technically terra sigillata. In addition, the Index is available via the suite of Samian Research databases at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz.
Independent websites
The sites listed below are all those with a large amount of content relating to Roman Britain which have not been constructed on behalf of any recognised association or official body. These may be operated on a commercial basis and RAS is not responsible for their content or any inaccuracies they may contain, nor by including them are we expressing any opinion as to how useful or not they might be!
- Romanobritain.org
An independent site sketching the history of the Romans in Britain.
- Mike Bishop
Mike’s site contains several interesting Roman items, of which “From Trackway to Road, Corbridge, Roecliffe and the Case for Proto Dere Street” is of particular interest. Also has an account of the excavations at Chester-le-Street in 1990-1.
- romanconcrete.com Does exactly what it says in the url! This American site is created by David Moore, an engineer rather than archaeologist, but is probably the only site on the net specialising in this fascinating subject.
- Cartography Unchained: Roman
Michael Ferrar has provided exhaustive evidence of the importance of the surveyor in Roman military and administrative life. He shows how the work was done, from Agrimensores to Vitruvius, and just why those Roman forts are so equally spaced.
- From Dot to Domesday
A history of Britain, from its creation by rising sea levels at the end of the last ice age, to,the product of William the Conqueror's great survey of his kingdom, the Domesday Book.By Stephen J. Murray. Includes an excellent well sourced online account to the roman conquest.