The Origin of Roman London

Abstract

In this book Dr Wallace makes a fundamental contribution to the study of urbanism in the Roman provinces. She attempts for the first time to present a detailed archaeological account of the first decade of one of the best-excavated cities in the Roman Empire. Delving into the artefact and structural reports from all excavations of pre-Boudican levels in London, she brings together vast quantities of data which are discussed and illustrated according to a novel methodology that address both the difficulties and complexity of 'grey literature' and urban excavation.

Going south of the river: A multidisciplinary analysis of ancestry, mobility and diet in a population from Roman Southwark, London

“…however, the precise origins of the settlement remain contested (Wallace, 2015, Hill and Rowsome, 2011, Wheeler, 1928, Perring, 2015, Tomlin, 2006 (Fig. 1).…”

“…From the beginning of Londinium, Southwark was different to the settlement on the northern bank in terms of material culture and planning. Wallace (2015) suggests that this reflects different communities in the pre-Boudican period (A.D. 48-61), with those on the northern bank being more prosperous and anchored in the socioeconomic and political life of the Empire, such as merchants and elite citizens from or connected to Gaul, Germany and Spain. Whereas, south of the river, she proposes this is where the non-citizens and the less affluent lived (Wallace, 2015).…”

“…Wallace (2015) suggests that this reflects different communities in the pre-Boudican period (A.D. 48-61), with those on the northern bank being more prosperous and anchored in the socioeconomic and political life of the Empire, such as merchants and elite citizens from or connected to Gaul, Germany and Spain. Whereas, south of the river, she proposes this is where the non-citizens and the less affluent lived (Wallace, 2015). However, because this area of Londinium was sacked during the Boudican rebellion, it suggests that it was sufficiently occupied to warrant destruction (Cowan, et al, 2009).…”

“…In this study, our aim was to investigate the southern settlement of Londinium (Fig. 1) an area which, since the foundation of the settlement in A.D. 48, is believed to have been inhabited by a less prosperous but diverse community of people (Wallace, 2015, Cowan, et al, 2009. The study employed a method devised by one of the authors, macromorphoscopics, an approach which hitherto, has not been used to assess ancestry in Romano-British populations and to combine it with stable isotope data about diet and childhood residency.…”

The Foundation of Roman London: Examining the Claudian Fort Hypothesis

“…Because of the extensive archaeological work undertaken in London, these questions can be addressed through examination of a large body of evidence. Although no published synthesis of the Claudian and early Neronian levels in London currently exists, recent thorough analysis (Wallace forthcoming) can be employed to assess the interpretations made in Perring's article and to propose alternative views.…”