Ricerc@Sapienza

This proposal is conceived as the progression of a project funded in 2018 by Sapienza University (Progetti di Ricerca, Progetti Piccoli: Il Vallo di Adriano come frontiera dell'impero romano: ricerche presso il Tullie House Museum di Carilsle-UK). The research, focused on the systematic study of archaeological findings and archive documents concerning the Roman Frontier in Britain, started thanks to an international collaboration agreement stipulated in 2017 between the Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Antichità and the Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Trust. The Museum holds a large quantity of records and objects discovered on Hadrian's wall, which is, as it is well known, a unique example of the frontier of the Roman Empire. As the first year of the project revealed a very high potentiality (it can improve our knowledge on the Wall's main features and on frontier's life up to Medieval age) we envisage to broaden the research.
A multidisciplinary group of (mainly young) scholars, who will work in strict collaboration, is involved. The main specializations are: Classical/Medieval archaeology, epigraphy, ancient topography, 3D documentation and reconstruction, archaeometry, palaeoenvironment. Part of the research will be carried out at Carlisle, where the Museum's Staff is participating with great enthusiasm to the project; the data collected there will be re-elaborated in Rome. The schedule foresees: topographic and archive work, study of building techniques, 3D reconstruction with BIM software of Milecastle 48, further documentation and study of material culture (pottery, glass, metals, leather, wood) parallel to specific analyses aimed at identifying production sites and at reconstructing trade and interchange between natives and Romans.
This new and improved project can give the opportunity to explore many aspects affecting not only ancient history and archaeology but also, at a larger extent, multiculturalism, identity, conflict, war, walls and barriers.