Research > Archaeological Fieldwork > International excavations > Hadrian's Wall and the frontier of the Roman Empire. Archaeological research at Tullie House Museum in Carlisle (United Kingdom)
Director: Emanuela Borgia
External links:
- International Congress of Roman Frontiers on Sapienza University
- The project at Ricerc@Sapienza (in Italian)
The project began in 2017 with the signing of a scientific collaboration agreement between the Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità and Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery in Carlisle (UK). The Archaeological Mission, co-funded by MAECI since 2023, aims to systematically study, analyze, and publish the archaeological finds preserved in the Museum from excavations conducted in the past along Hadrian's Wall.
Particular focus has been placed on the Roman forts of Banna and Luguvalium and Milecastle 48 along Hadrian's Wall, the site of Old Penrith further south, and the outpost of Bewcastle, located north of the Wall and connected to it by an important road, the Mayden Way. For each site, updated topographical documentation was compiled by merging published and unpublished materials preserved in the Museum's archives. This activity is particularly important because, in many cases, of the sites investigated nothing is now visible on the ground.
The work on the findings concerns not only imported and locally produced ceramics, but also glass, leather objects (especially shoes), coins, metals, and wood.
The project also aims to train young scholars: in recent years, eleven students from Sapienza University have had the opportunity to write their bachelor's or master's theses at Tullie House, contributing significantly to the project.
All the Mission's activities are carried out in agreement and collaboration with the Museum staff, with the aim of implementing digital archives and promoting the museum display of significant finds. As part of the Third Mission, the director of the Mission presented the project to the public at a conference in the Museum auditorium on February 7, 2026.
Collaborators:
Mara Elefante, Gianluca Gregori, Matthew Johnston, Andrew Mackay, Asia Malatesta, Micol Mazzoli, Francesco Ronconi, Francesca Russo, Anna Smalley, Marcello Spanu, Sophie Terrett, Angelita Troiani
- Bibliography
E. Borgia, Gods for Natives and Romans on Hadrians Wall, in D.J. Breeze (ed.), Hadrians Wall in our Time, Oxford 2024, pp. 734-739.
https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/DMS/9A056518F2A440E3B988931C60F3F5FD/9781803277349-sample.pdf
E. Borgia, Inscriptions from Hadrians Wall in Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Trust (Carlisle): local identities and Roman influences, Classical Association Conference, Swansea, Friday 17 April to Monday 20 April 2020, cds
L. Di Pastena, Un denario di Marco Antonio dal Milecastle 48 (Poltross Burn) del Vallo di Adriano, West and East, III, 2018, pp. 1-27.
(https://www.openstarts.units.it/bitstream/10077/30723/3/W%26E_IV_2019_DiPastena.pdf)
L. Di Pastena, Beyond Hadrians Wall: Considerations on the Massive Terrets, in A. Ruber, H.-U. Voß (eds.), Experiencing the Frontier and the Frontier Experiene. Barbarian perspectives and Roman strategies to deal with new threats, Oxford 2020, pp. 138-143.
G. Heffernann, E. Price, Sapienza University and Tullie House Museum International Research Agreement, in G. Boyle, J. Butterworth (eds.), Communicating Archaeology. Case studies in the use of, and engagement with, archaeological collections, Society for Museum Archaeology, 2021, pp. 93-99.
F. Russo, Il forte romano di Bewcastle in Britannia: quattro lucerne dai principia, Archivi e documenti, II.1, 2020, pp. 7-28.
T. Wilmott, H. Cool, J. Evans, Excavations at the Hadrian’s Wall fort of Birdoswald (Banna), Cumbria: 1996-2000, in T.Wilmott (ed.), Hadrian’s Wall: Archaeological Research by English Heritage 1976-2000, Swindon 2009, pp. 203-395.
Atti del Convegno Internazionale Frontier Museums and Frontiers as Museums: the borders of the Roman Empire as places of interaction between peoples and cultures, cds 2026.
Alle pubblicazioni scientifiche si aggiungono 11 tesi di laurea triennale, magistrale e di specializzazione in archeologia, svolte, a partire dal 2017, presso il Tullie House e incentrate sullo studio della ceramica, del vetro, delle scarpe in cuoio, della topografia di forti e milecastles e sulla musealizzazione.
Further details about this research:
- Research type: International excavation
- Location of the excavation: Carlisle (Tullie House Museum) - United Kingdom
- Research topic: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces
- Fundings: Sapienza Progetti Medi di Ateneo MAECI
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