Flipping the script on colonial narratives: replicating Roman reliefs from the Antonine Wall

Campbell, L. (2021) Flipping the script on colonial narratives: replicating Roman reliefs from the Antonine Wall. Public Archaeology, 20(1-4), pp. 3-31. (doi: 10.1080/14655187.2021.1961438)

Abstract

Our understanding of the Roman presence in Scotland during the second century has traditionally been viewed through a Roman lens, influenced by the fragmentary, non-contemporaneous, and heavily biased accounts of Roman historiographers. Perceived wisdom has perpetuated this through embedded colonial language referring to indigenous occupants of the region and in the way that colonial objects are presented in museums. The welcome paradigm shift from Romanization to postcolonial discourses provides fertile ground for challenging Romanocentric narratives when (re)considering the materiality of Empire, particularly from frontier contexts. Replicas are an integral component of this narrative with power to express multiplicities of meanings and engage audiences in new and creative ways. These aspects are explored through newly carved sandstone replicas of Antonine Wall Distance Sculptures, including one inspired by the originals but presenting an alternative, provocative narrative from the perspective of Iron Age occupants of the region who came into conflict with Rome.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by Historic Environment Scotland under Grant Number HEAP2470491033 and the University of Glasgow’s Lord Kelvin / Adam Smith (LKAS) Leadership Fellowship.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Campbell, Dr Louisa
• Authors: Campbell, L.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology
• Journal Name: Public Archaeology
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1465-5187
• ISSN (Online): 1753-5530
• Published Online: 06 October 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Author
• First Published: First published in Public Archaeology 20(1-4): 3-31
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
305660		Paints and Pigments in the Past (PPIP): Postdoctoral Fellowship in Materials Science	Michael Given	Historic Environment Scotland (HISTSCOT)	HEAP2470491033	Arts - Archaeology