Curating the Romans in Britain’s Museums

Glynn, J C Davis; McIntosh, Frances; Lee, Antony

Curating the Romans in Britain’s Museums

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Glynn, J C Davis

McIntosh, Frances

Lee, Antony

Date published

2026

Abstract

The display and presentation of ‘the Romans’ is ubiquitous across Britain’s heritage organisations; however, little academic critique and evaluation have been made of the ways in which this history is presented to the public. This chapter seeks to review the rationale and agendas behind the presentation of Britain’s Roman past. Its data are based on a national survey of over 100 organisations and interviews with museum professionals. The survey explored a wide range of topics, including what forms of academic discourse are considered through interpretation. Are curators, across several hundred organisations in England and Wales, embracing theoretical concepts or models to inform their temporary exhibitions and permanent displays/galleries? Or do more recent imperatives, such as the decolonisation of museum collections and human histories, inform the nature of communicating Britain’s complex Roman past to the public? This chapter also presents information about the organisations, individuals, and communities responsible for creating these public outputs. Over the past decade the museum sector has seen a reduction in specialist curatorial posts, giving way to roles with more general responsibilities, covering far broader collections and organisational remits. At the same time, archaeological archives continue to grow exponentially through developer-funded archaeology. Is any of this new material, and its synthesis by archaeologists, impacting current or new Roman displays across the country? Through analysing and presenting this research, recommendations for academic and museum professionals are suggested, to help inform future collaboration and connectivity. We hope that this chapter acts as a catalyst for further research, building on data of which only a sample is presented here.