This is an accessible, highly illustrated introduction to the history, society, culture and art of Britain when it was a province of the Roman Empire, and contains beautiful new photography of recently discovered artefacts. Based on the latest research, this is the first all-new book on this subject published by the British Museum in nearly 20 years.

For nearly four centuries, Britain was a province on the outer edge of the Roman Empire and developed a distinctively Romano-British culture and way of life. Using the archaeological evidence, ancient written sources and the latest research on surviving artefacts from a child’s leather shoe to fascinating letters, from the monumental bronze head of the emperor Hadrian to hoards of stunning gold and silver a picture of Roman Britain is brought vividly to life. Whether for a Roman soldier on the northern frontier or a native British farmer; for a pagan British king or a Christian Roman lady living in a villa, the diversity of lifestyles, experiences and cultures is revealed. Native British traditions of trade and craftsmanship merged with the imported Roman styles and practices to create a unique cultural synthesis, the legacy of which is still visible today in British landscapes, architecture, art and society.

Ralph Jackson and Richard Hobbs are curators of Romano-British antiquities in the British Museum. Ralph Jackson is also author of BM Research Publication “181: Cosmetic Sets of Late Iron Age and Roman Britain”, which will be published August 2010.