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Africa, the Roman Empire and Britain1270635000Northern Africa and the Roman Empire:The Romans conquered Carthage (modern Tunisia) during the Third Punic War in 146 BC and established the province of Africa around the destroyed city. This province grew to include the coast of north-eastern Algeria and western Libya. Classical authors refer to Sudanic and Sub-Saharan Africa as ‘Aethiopia’ while the term Africa itself was used for the Maghreb region on the northern coast of the continent.Roman presence in northern Africa was not limited to this province, though Rome’s military presence in Africa was relatively small, comprising mostly local soldiers by the 2nd century AD. The Romans established provinces at the tip of Libya (Cyrenaica which made a province with the island Crete), Numidia, Egypt, Maurentania Caesariensis and Maurentania Tigitana (both northern parts of Algeria and Morocco).Colonies were set up along the North African coast by emperors to facilitate trade which became home to many Jews after they had been exiled from Judea after rebellions. North Africa has rich, fertile soil which gave it the nickname ‘granary of the Empire’ and paved the way for the Severan dynasty to take their place as emperors of Rome, starting with Septimius Severus (ruling from 193-211 AD). Septimius was from the province Africa with Phoenician ethnicity and was declared Emperor after the death of Commodus. 4 more Severan Emperors ruled until 235 AD.Under Roman rule, North Africa generally prospered until the Vandal conquest of the province of Africa in 439 AD.465582017399000Black Roman Soldiers in Britain:The first Black British community came significantly before the well-known Transatlantic Slave Trade. In the 3rd century AD a Roman garrison was founded in what is now Cumbria, which was largely comprised of North African soldiers. Roman African soldiers in Britain were by no means a new thing in the 3rd century either, during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus there were eight African men who had positions of command in the Northern reaches of the Roman Empire in Britain. The plaque on the right was added as recently as 2016. The discovery of 83 Roman skeletons by archaeologists at the University of Leicester found that six of the skeletons were of African heritage, two of which appeared to have been born in Britain. DNA testing of a group of Roman Londoners also revealed North African ancestry.Additional evidence left behind by the Roman soldiers at Burgh-by-Sands in Cumbria, shows the occupation of a garrison of “Aurelian Moors” in the 4th century AD. This unit of “Aurelian Moors” had been named for the Emperor, Marcus Aurelius and could have been as many as 500 strong.Not only was there a significant Black population in Roman Britain, but for a brief period in 208AD the entire Roman Empire was ruled from Britain by the African Emperor Septimius Severus, as he came to campaign north of Hadrian’s Wall as well as strengthen the defences and fortifications.Hadrian’s wall was completed in 128AD and Roman occupation continued in Britain until 411AD; throughout this period, Rome continued to garrison soldiers from across the Empire at the Wall including individuals from North Africa.5020800247650Case Study: The Ivory Bangle LadyIn 1904, a skeleton of a young woman was discovered in York and dated to the second half of the 4th Century AD. She was buried with expensive grave goods, including bracelets made of jet and ivory. An inscription which reads ‘Hail, sister, may you live in God’ suggests that this high-status woman was a Christian. The shape of her skull suggests that she had North African ancestry. Studies of the remains of the ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ (we don’t know her name) suggest that she was born and brought up in the south of England, rather than in Africa. Think:What does the evidence given suggest about the status of black people in Roman Britain?What does the evidence suggest about Roman-Britains? An Egyptian urn in Roman Scotland:The Romans were fascinated by Egypt and their promise of an afterlife. An artefact labelled ‘Alabaster bowl, Grahamston, Falkirk’ in the National Museums Scotland archives illustrates this.Initially disregarded in a footnote, the urn was dismissed as not being Roman. However, recent re-evaluation has shown parallels between this urn and Roman funerary practices from the 1st and 2nd centuries. The urn was made from travertine stone, which is found in many places, and the closest visual match to the travertine used for this urn comes from Egypt. This urn is similar to those that the imperial family used, Septimius Severus brought one with him to Britain in the early 3rd century. The urns are mostly found in Italy (particularly Rome itself), North Africa, and southern France. Such an urn being found in Scotland might suggest that it held the ashes of one of the military leaders of the site at Camelon. During the Flavian and Antonine occupations of Scotland in the late 1st and mid-2nd centuries, Camelon was a stronghold for the Romans. As a fort in a strategic location, home to a thousand soldier unit, it was located on the natural route north to Scotland from England. Over to you:DNA analysis by archaeologists has shed light on the diversity in Roman Britain. In 2017 a controversy over the depiction of Roman Britain in a children’s cartoon prompted news articles about the fixed and inaccurate visual images people had of Britain at the time of the Romans (an example can be found on the Guardian website). Can you think of any reasons why this might be the case? Use the internet to investigate different ideas about why we cannot see the legacy of black inhabitants of Roman Britain.A note on Roman DNA:Recent DNA analysis suggests that less than half of the modern DNA of ‘Britons’ comes from the Anglo-Saxons and shows very little sign of Viking or Roman DNA at all, despite both of these contributing a large amount of settlers. People from across the Roman Empire migrated to and settled in Britain, from North African soldiers to enslaved Celts. Because of their varied places of origin, Romans would not have left one single signature to look for in DNA. Roman settlers came from similar areas of Europe as the later Anglo-Saxons would, making it likely that the Romans would have had similar genomes. This might mean that what has been labelled as ‘Anglo-Saxon’ DNA could actually be ‘Roman’ or ‘Viking’ DNA.Teacher Notes:What is a slot in?A slot-in is a short story from the past that is rich in historical concepts. You can use a slot-in as part of a longer sequence, or as cover work, or in those moments when you need something short. A slot-in in an excellent way of adding diversity to your lessons. The concept focus of this enquiry:‘What was the status of black people in Roman Britain?’ is designed to be thought-provoking and interesting from the outset. When students are taught about the Roman Empire, and Roman Britain, focus is often on military might and Roman advancements. As a result, many students do not appreciate the diversity of the Roman Empire. Spanning 5 million square kilometres at its height, the Roman Empire encapsulated a diverse range of people. This is often overlooked when teaching the Romans. The focus on the status in black people in Britain serves a dual purpose - it identifies to students that black people did exist in Britain during Roman times, and that they were able to access high-status positions. Using the case study of the Ivory Bangle Lady:When teaching within the North, and around York specifically, the use of a local case study can provoke curiosity and intrigue. It also layers evidence into the enquiry and allows students to see history in action.Confronting misconceptions:Not all soldiers and civilians in Roman Britain were white people who built aqueducts and lived in villas. Focusing on the status of black people in Roman Britain coveys the diversity of the time period and gives a broad sense of period - from migration to archaeological excavations. Links to the curriculum:The Roman EmpireMigrationSlaveryEmpireFurther Information: by:Imogen Ray (@imogenkate2)Penny HodgsonJake Williams (@ijakewilliams) ................
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