Pre-Roman and Roman Britain

Activities

Before viewing

Set the programme in time. Draw a line on the chalkboard, marking off BC and AD. Ask students to name any periods, events or key dates from history that they can remember and to locate these on the line. End by introducing the period covered by this programme and adding it to the time line.

Viewing activity

Watch and note down:

• Different kinds of structures shown in the programme and their purpose
• Differences between the Roman buildings and those that went before them

Keywords

evidence, fort, landscape, pre-history, settlement, Celts, Romans, amphitheatre, aqueduct, viaduct

After viewing

Re-cap and consolidation:

• How many of the sites can students remember?
• How many different kinds of site can they name?
• Make a list of some of the Roman sites. List some of the pre-Roman ones and talk about how the two types differ.

Follow-up work

Historical enquiry: Maiden Castle

Look at the following illustrations, which show some of the things archaeologists excavated in the area around Maiden Castle.

Note that conclusions about what happened at Maiden Castle are bound to be tentative. In fact, archaeologists continue to argue over what exactly happened at Maiden Castle when the Romans attacked.

Imagine you are one of the archaeologists investigating the castle. Organise your findings under two headings:

This is what the evidence tells me for certain.

This is what I can guess from the evidence.

Your report should be written in an impersonal style appropiate for araeological reports.

Range and depth of historical knowledge and understanding: The Roman baths

Look at the following extract and site plan.

I live right over a public bath. Just imagine the noise! When the musclemen work out and throw the lead weights I hear the grunting. When they let out the breath they've been holding in, there's a great whistling and wheezing. If it's a lazy type - someone who only wants a cheap massage - I have to hear the crack of the masseur's hand as it hits the shoulder. There's one sound when it's the flat of the hand and another when it's the cupped hand. But if a ball player arrives on the scene and begins to count shots, then I'm done for. Add the toughs looking for a fight, the thieves caught in the act and the people who like singing in the bath. Add also the people who dive into the pool with a deafening splash. On top of all these, don't forget the professional hair remover, forever forcing out that screech of his when he advertises his services. He only shuts up when he's plucking a customer's armpits and can make someone else do the screaming for him. Then there's the drink seller, the sausage seller and the cake seller, and each one has his own special call.

The extract is taken from a letter by Seneca written in AD 55. It reminds us of the vigorous life that existed in Roman Britain. The plan shows a reconstruction of the baths at Aquae Sulis (Bath) in the first century AD, based on archaeological evidence.

1. What does the extract tell us about life in Roman times?

2. What does the archaeological site plan tell us? Which piece of evidence is the most useful? Why?

3. Use textbooks or CD-ROMs to find out more about the Roman baths. Then write a researcher's report for a film producer, listing the key features that must be included in a scene set in the Roman baths in Aquae Sulis in AD 146. The report could be organised under sights, smells and sounds as well as physical features. It might also include a cast list of suitable extras to dress the scene.