The Roman Invasion of Britain: Archaeology versus History

Roman accounts of the conquest of Britain preserve memorable episodes: Caesar’s landings, Claudius’ invasion and the revolt of Boudicca. Archaeological discoveries do not always fit those written narratives, raising questions about what happened on the ground and how later historians described it.

Birgitta Hoffmann takes those episodes in turn, setting the surviving historical accounts beside evidence from excavated sites and objects. Agreements between the sources matter, but so do the gaps and contradictions. The history of Rome in Britain looks different when a familiar passage of text has to answer to a trench, a building or the material traces of occupation.