Overview

Relativism and the Frontiers of Empire captures a moment in the development of agendas in the study of Rome’s frontiers, whilst highlighting the legacy of a classic anthropological concept. The volume adopts the theme of cultural relativism as an umbrella term, which allows opening to a range of post-colonial, positional and relational approaches that rely on contextualising frontiers within their cultural frameworks and recognising the significance of the standpoint of the scholar in production of knowledge; the two key tenets of anthropological cultural relativism.

Full Product Details

Author:   Anna Walas (Visiting Researcher, University of Leicester) ,  Andrew Birley (CEO & Director of Excavations, The Vindolanda Trust)
Publisher:   Archaeopress
Imprint:   Archaeopress Archaeology
Weight:   1.273kg
ISBN:  

9781805830689

ISBN 10:   1805830686
Pages:   236
Publication Date:   20 November 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Dedication Relativism and the Other in the Study of Rome’s Frontiers – Anna Walas and Andrew Birley   Part 1: Roman Frontiers Repositioned The Demise of Roman Frontier Studies? – David J. Mattingly Frontiers and the Roman Empire: A Comparative Perspective – Andrew Gardner From French Conquest to Algerian Independence: French Foreign Legion and the Roman Legionary Base at Lambaesis – Anna Walas The Frontiers of the Concept: Are Romanization and Islamization Comparable? – José Cristóbal Carvajal López Reflections on ‘Writing the Legions’: Roman Military Scholarship – Rebecca H. Jones Visualising Roman Military Bases in Cities: The Challenge of Rome’s Castra Nova – Ian Haynes   Part 2: De-Colonial Approaches to Relations on Rome’s Frontiers Speak Softly and Carry a Big Cross: Diplomacy, Evangelism and Ignorance on Justinian’s African Frontier – Andy Merrills The Malevolent Spirit of the Red Sea – Michel Reddé Torcs Transformed: A Fresh Look at Late Iron Age and Romano-British Beaded Torcs – Fraser Hunter Expressions of Cultural Affiliation Reflecting the Dynamic Creation of Roman Auxiliary Communities – Elizabeth M. Greene   Part 3: Relativist Deconstructions of Imperial Culture Sculpture from Old Carlisle, Cumbria, and What It Tells Us about Life in the Hinterland of Hadrian’s Wall – Lindsay Allason-Jones Setting the Frame: Further Thoughts on the Suovetaurilia Scene on the Bridgeness Distance Slab – David J. Breeze, Christof Flügel and Erik P. Graafstal Tracing the Life of a Dipinto: A Revision of the Iarhibol Dipinto from the Military Clerical Office in Dura-Europos – Lucinda Dirven Effluvia of Empire: Sanitation and the Roman Army – Simon Esmonde Cleary   Part 4: Cultural Relativism and Belonging on the Frontiers The Roman Military on the Syrian Euphrates: Small Finds in Roman Global Worlds – J. A. Baird The Men of Dura-Europos: A Demographic Profile of the Cohors XX Palmyrenorum – Carol van Driel-Murray Ceramics and Social Practice on Roman Military Sites – Penelope Allison Frontiers and Dehumanisation: Mobility, Materiality and Religious Activity in Frontier Zones – Adam Rogers   Part 5: Relativism and Cultures of Violence Which Side Does Sir Dress? – M. C. Bishop Differentiation and Conflict on the Northern Frontier – Alexander Meyer The Enemy You Know: Evidence for Complex Relationships and Interpersonal Conflict on the Northern Frontier of Roman Britain – Andrew Birley   Simon James, Bibliography

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Author Information

Anna Walas is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London. She holds a PhD in Roman Archaeology from the University of Leicester and previously studied at the University of Cambridge and the Jagiellonian University. She is also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Leicester and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham. Andrew Birley holds a PhD in Roman Archaeology from the University of Leicester and is the current Director of Excavation and the CEO of the Vindolanda Trust. He is the former Chair of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Archaeological Committee and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and Scotland.

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