Visions of the Roman North.

• Superior document: Archaeopress Roman Archaeology ; v.80
• Author: Ferris, Iain.
• Place / Publishing House: Oxford : : Archaeopress,, 2021.; ©2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: Archaeopress Roman Archaeology
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (237 pages)

This is the first book to analyse art from the northern frontier zones of Roman Britain and to interpret the meaning and significance of this art in terms of the formation of a regional identity. It argues that a distinct and vibrant visual culture flourished in the north, primarily due to its status as a heavily militarized frontier zone.

Table of Contents

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Figures -- Image Credits -- Dedication -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- A Land Apart -- Regional Character -- Responses and Practices -- In Praise of Sandstone -- Quantifying Character -- Figure 1 Group of Mithraic artworks on display in the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 2 Statue of Mars from York. Late third to early fourth century AD. Yorkshire, Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 3 Tombstone of a Romano-British woman holding a fan from Carlisle. Second century AD. Tullie House Museum, Carlisle. (Photo: Copyright Tullie House Museum, Carlisle). -- Figure 4 Tombstone of Vellibia Ertola from Corbridge, Northumberland. Later third century AD. Corbridge Site Museum. (Photo: Slide archive of the former School of Continuing Studies, Birmingham University). -- Figure 5 Leg from a life-size bronze equestrian statue from Milsington, Roxburghshire, Scotland. Undated. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 6 Silver arm and plaque from a small statue of Victory from Tunshill, Lancashire. Second to fourth century AD. British Museum, London. (Photo: Copyright Trustees of the British Museum). -- Figure 7 Mosaic panel depicting the She-Wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus from Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Late third or fourth century AD. Leeds City Museum. (Photo: Author). -- Shadowplayers -- Images of Authority -- Figure 9 Silver gilt statuette of Commodus as Hercules from near Birdoswald, Cumbria. AD 191 or 192. British Museum, London. (Photo: Copyright Trustees of the British Museum). -- Figure 8 Marble portrait head of man from Hawkshaw, Peeblesshire, Scotland. Trajanic. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: Author).

Figure 10 Twice life-size marble portrait head of Constantine the Great from York. c. AD 306. Yorkshire Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 11 Head pot of a woman, possibly the empress Julia Domna, from York. Early third century AD. Yorkshire, Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 12 Head pot of a man, possibly the emperor Caracalla, from York. Early third century AD. Yorkshire, Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 13 The Hutcheson Hill, Dunbartonshire legionary distance slab from the Antonine Wall, Scotland. Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow. (Photo: Copyright Hunterian, University of Glasgow). -- Gods and Mortals -- A Sacred Landscape -- Figure 14 Red jasper intaglio of a cock pulling a cart driven by a mouse from Aldborough, North Yorkshire. Second half of second century AD. Aldborough Site Museum. (Photo: Historic England). -- Systems and Practices -- Figure 15 Relief of Mercury from Newcastle upon Tyne. Second or third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 16 Fragment of a commemorative relief of the Sixth Legion from Croy Hill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, depicting Venus inside a classical building. Antonine. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: Author). -- Private Devotion -- Personal Spaces -- The Power of Place -- Figure 18 Relief of a smith-god, Vulcan, or a smith from York. Second or third century AD. Yorkshire Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 17 A smith-god greyware pottery vessel from Chester-le-Street, County Durham. Third century AD. Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. (Photo: Jeremy Evans).

Figure 19 and 20 Head of statue of Antenociticus from Benwell, Northumberland. Second century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 21 Head of a male Romano-Celtic deity from Binchester, County Durham. Third or fourth century AD. Presently at Durham University. (Photo: David Petts, Durham University). -- Figure 22 Statue of Brigantia from Birrens, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Hadrianic to Antonine. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: David Breeze). -- Curing and Healing -- Figure 23 Silver plaque dedicated to the god Cocidius from Bewcastle, Cumbria. Second or third century AD. Tullie House Museum, Carlisle. (Photo: Copyright Tullie House Museum, Carlisle). -- Figure 24 Hunter deity from Housesteads, Northumberland. Late second or early third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 25 Altar dedicated to Aesculapius and Salus from Binchester, County Durham. Mid to late second century AD. Fulling Mill Museum, Durham University. Illustration from R.E. Hooppell's Vinovia. (Photo: Slide archive of the former School of Continuing S -- Figure 26 Dedicatory stele or altar to the local goddess Coventina, from Coventina's Well, Carrawburgh, Northumberland. Third century AD. Chesters Site Museum. (Photo: Andrew Curtis). -- Figure 27 Relief of three water nymphs from Coventina's Well, Carrawburgh, Northumberland. Second or third century AD. Chesters Site Museum. (Photo: Carole Raddato). -- Figure 28 Relief of Venus and attendant nymphs from High Rochester, Northumberland. Second or third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- The Genii Cucullati and the Matres.

Figure 29 Relief of the genii cucullati from Housesteads, Northumberland. Second quarter of the third century AD. Housesteads Site Museum. (Photo: Slide archive of the former School of Continuing Studies, Birmingham University). -- Belief and Identity -- Figure 31 Relief of Fortuna from Castlecary, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Antonine. Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 30 Altar to Fortuna from Chesters, Northumberland. Third century AD. Chesters Site Museum. (Photo: Carole Raddato). -- Artifice and Transcendence -- Eastern Deities -- The Hand of God -- Figure 32 Torso of a statue of Juno Regina from Chesters, Northumberland. Early third century AD. Chesters Site Museum. (Photo: Carole Raddato). -- Figure 33 An altar to Jupiter Dolichenus from Vindolanda. Third century AD. Vindolanda Museum. (Photo: the Vindolanda Trust). -- Figure 34 Bronze hand of Jupiter Dolichenus from Vindolanda. Third century AD. Vindolanda Museum. (Photo: the Vindolanda Trust). -- Figure 35 Reliefs, including a depiction of the Dioscuri, from the Dolichenum at Corbridge, Northumberland. Third century AD. Corbridge Site Museum. (Photo: Studio HB). -- Figure 36 Detail of the relief depicting the Dioscuri from the Dolichenum at Corbridge, Northumberland. Third century AD. Corbridge Site Museum. (Photo: Slide archive of the former School of Continuing Studies, Birmingham University). -- Figure 37 Relief of the god Sol from the Dolichenum at Corbridge, Northumberland. Third century AD. Corbridge Site Museum. 3D model made from 34 photographs, using Agisoft Photoscan. (Photo: Deborah Mayers). -- Figure 38 Reconstruction of a dedicatory slab to Jupiter Dolichenus, based on two original fragments, from Croy Hill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Antonine. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: Author). -- Mithras, the Bull-Slayer.

Figure 40 Relief depicting the birth of Mithras from Housesteads, Northumberland. Third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 39 Altar to Sol-Mithras from Carrawburgh, Northumberland. Third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 41 Relief of the Mithraic tauroctony from Housesteads, Northumberland. Early third century AD. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 42 The Sol altar from Inveresk, East Lothian, Scotland. Mid-second century AD. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. Laser scan image. (Photo: AOC Archaeology). -- Figure 43 The Seasons relief on the Sol altar from Inveresk, East Lothian, Scotland. Mid-second century AD. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: National Museums of Scotland). -- Northern Christians -- Figure 44 Decorated bronze belt-plate and buckle with images of peacocks and a tree-of-life from Stanwick, North Yorkshire. Fourth to fifth century AD. British Museum, London. (Photo: Copyright Trustees of the British Museum). -- The Good Soldier -- Seeing Yourself -- Figure 45 Relief of Roman legionaries from Croy Hill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Antonine. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 46 Painted cast of the tombstone of the optio Caecilius Avitus from Chester. Mid to second half of third century AD. Grosvenor Museum, Chester. (Photo: Author). -- Figure 47 Tombstone of the signifer Lucius Duccius Rufinus from York. AD 72-122. Yorkshire, Museum, York. (Photo: Image courtesy of York Museums Trust: http://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk). -- Figure 48 Tombstone of Flavinus, an auxiliary cavalryman from Corbridge, Northumberland. Before AD 98. Now in Hexham Abbey. (Photo: Slide archive of the former School of Continuing Studies, Birmingham University).

Figure 49 Tombstone of Insus, a Roman auxiliary cavalryman from Lancaster, Lancashire. c. AD 75-120. Lancaster City Museum. Coloured reconstruction drawing by Simon James. (Photo: Simon James).