Book Launch Review: Roman Life on Hadrian’s Wall by Claire Millington

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

With a fascinating selection of images and thoughtful insights, this book will inform and change how you think about everyday Roman life at this remote frontier, the most-visited Roman remains in Britain.

Claire Millington’s Roman Life on Hadrian's Wall is a refreshing look at one of the most iconic frontiers in history. While many texts focus heavily on the battles fought and the stones laid, Claire shifts the focus to the lived experience of the people who called Hadrian's Wall home.

The strength of this book is its inclusivity. Claire Millington talks about the entire community, and shows how Hadrian's Wall became like a string of connected ‘villages’. By synthesizing archaeological evidence with a narrative flair, she reveals a bustling world of families and camp followers, including the women and children who lived in the vici (civilian settlements) outside the forts, and merchant traders who kept the frontier supplied.

l particularly liked the stories of the "small finds", such as discarded shoes, personal letters and household pottery. These fragments of the past are transformed from museum exhibits into entry points for understanding Roman anxieties, celebrations - and mundane routines.

Whether you are a Roman historian or a casual reader interested in British heritage, this book is accessible, with an engaging narrative. An essential addition to any history lover's bookshelf. Claire Millington reminds us the grandeur of Rome wasn't only built on conquest, but on the quiet, resilient lives of individuals stationed at the edge of the known world.

Tony Riches

(A review copy was kindly provided by Amberley Publishing)

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About the Author

Dr Claire Millington is a Roman archaeologist, academic and writer. She has written fiction, non-fiction and poetry ever since winning the BBC Jackanory poetry competition aged 6 ½. Her love of Roman archaeology was sparked during a posting to Rome for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, after which she undertook a master’s degree through the Open University. Her PhD is from King’s College London where she is a Visiting Research Fellow.  She is a huge public archaeology fan so she was thrilled to work on the Time Team excavations of Broughton Roman villa (2021 and 2022), as well as surveying and recording foreshore archaeology as a volunteer with the Museum of London Archaeology Thames Discovery Project, and excavating Roman forts at Vindolanda. Find out more at https://clairemillington.com/ and follow Claire on Bluesky @clairemillington.bsky.social