Living Roman London Costumes and object handling At your school
Contents National Curriculum links and session description 1 Practical guidelines 2 Pre-visit and follow-up activities 3 Visual symbols 4-8 Background to Roman London 9-11 Photographs 12-13
Curriculum links KS2 History The session will link to Key Stage 2 History, particularly work on the effects of Roman settlement in Britain, and to Literacy skills in speaking and listening. Pupils will learn about archaeology and exercise skills in historical interpretation. Through historical enquiry, your pupils will develop knowledge of the appearance and way of life of Roman Londoners and an understanding of how archaeology helps us interpret the past. This session links well with QCA Unit 6A Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Roman case study: How did the Romans change Britain when they settled here? Session description During the session, all pupils will have the opportunity to handle and interrogate some original Roman artefacts, related to appearance and daily life. Pupils will then try on some replica Roman clothes chosen to represent both rich and poor people living in Londinium. Whilst in costume, they will role-play daily activities from Roman times including bathing and preparing food, using multisensory props and genuine artefacts from the Museum s collection. We recommend that you take photographs of your class in costume. The session lasts 60 minutes. 1
Practical guidelines Your session Please check your confirmation letter which will confirm the time of your session. If there are any problems please contact the SEN Programme Manager on 020 7814 5549 or at SEN@museumoflondon.org.uk Cancellation charges We are able to offer these sessions free to schools thanks to generous funding. However, any cancellations will incur a charge. For details of cancellation charges, please see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/schoolsbookings To maximise the enjoyment and value of the visit please: ensure that you have at least one adult for every 15 children and that the adults are in the session at all times introduce to the group some general background about the Museum of London discuss what it might have been like to live in Roman times using some of the pictures provided in this pack ask the pupils to discuss and think of some questions for the educator about Roman life in London remember to have your camera. Photography is encouraged during the session and can be useful for follow-up work and as an enjoyable way to remember the visit. 2
Pre-visit activities 1. Introduce the concept of different outfits for different roles/jobs using actual items of clothing. 2. Look at some reproductions of paintings and sculptures and discuss how clothing and objects in the pictures give us clues to the subject s background (e.g. rich/poor, young/old, jobs, etc.) 3. Use the visual symbols to familiarise pupils with the key vocabulary for this session. Copy them and use them as flashcards or as a card game (snap, pairs, etc.) 4. You can also browse the Museum of London online learning resources for materials to introduce pupils to the themes and concepts they will encounter during their session. These are all available in the teachers section of our website www.museumoflondon.org.uk. You may find the following relevant to your session: Londinium game and Digging up the Romans. Follow-up activities 1. Make a Materials display, including objects and clothing made of different materials. 2. Make a display of photographs and drawings of Roman objects and costumes, including photos of your pupils from the session. 3. Draw round silhouettes of Roman clothing (a toga, sandals, etc.) and then cut them out and decorate them. 4. Make and decorate some Roman coins which can be used for role - play and drama sessions. Pupils could even be given Roman names which they can copy and decorate. 5. Look at some examples of Roman art (mosaics, sculpture, pottery, etc.) and make your own. 6. Create a class dictionary using writing, sign language or symbols of all the new words encountered during this topic. 3
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Background to Roman London Facts and figures about Londinium The name Londinium is of British not Roman origin. Many scholars have tried to work out what it means, but no-one knows for certain. London was a Roman city for over 350 years, from before AD50 to after AD400. The Roman emperors were in power for longer than all the kings and queens of England from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II. Londinium was by far the largest city in Britannia and occupied an area of over 330 acres (130 hectares). The Roman city wall was about 21 feet (6.4m) high and over 2 miles (3.2km) long around the perimeter. It has been calculated that some 86,000 tonnes of stone was used to build it. Who lived in Londinium? The Romans invaded Britain in AD43 with 40,000 men. They quickly took control of the South East. The River Thames was for transport between Britain and the Continent. The Romans saw this and built the town of Londinium around the river s main crossing point. The first Londoners were probably soldiers and administrators who came here to rule the new province. Classicanus, the second Procurator, came from Germany. Merchants and crafts-people followed. They did building work and supplied trade goods to the new town. At first there were probably more men than women in Londinium. Some men brought their families too. What happened to the British? The native Britons didn t leave when the Romans came. Many Britons moved to London for the new town life: to make money and perhaps improve their chances. As time went on, more Londoners would have been born here. People also moved here from the Continent throughout the 400 years or Roman rule. 9
The army The Roman army in Britain wasn t here just to fight. Soldiers also acted as police, administrators, tax collectors and engineers. The army probably planned the town s layout and built the public buildings and roads. Who could become a soldier? To become a legionary soldier you had to be a citizen of Rome, so most of the soldiers in Britain, at least at first, would have come from abroad. Native Britons, like the natives of other Roman lands, could join the army as auxiliaries. They were allowed to become Roman citizens after 25 years service in the army. Legionaries took part in big battles but mainly worked as builders, planners and administrators. If you lived in Londinium, who would you be? Out of you and 9 friends, five of you would have died before you became an adult. Only one would have lived past the age of 45. As an adult, you would have been about 6cm shorter than adults today. You might have been a rich merchant, a shopkeeper, a craftsperson or a slave. You would have probably have been born in Britain rather than moving here from abroad. But you may have lived in a Roman style house, spoken Latin and copied Roman hairstyles and clothes. You might have enjoyed trips to the public baths or to see games at the amphitheatre and you might have had a pet dog or cat. What were the buildings and houses like? The town hall, government offices and courtrooms were in the basilica. Next door was the forum, the market place where merchants had their offices and shops. Londinium s forum and basilica took 30 years to build. A main road led from here to the port and the bridge across the Thames. Ordinary people lived in small houses with a shop in front and workshops behind. Wealthier people s homes had wall paintings and mosaic floors. Soldiers lived in the fort, outside the main part of town. What did the Romans believe? There was an official Roman religion. They worshipped a family of gods including Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Diana. In Rome, the emperor was worshipped as a god; in Britain he did not become a god until he died. As Romans moved around the Roman Empire they took new gods, several of which were introduced to Britain. These included Isis from Egypt and Mithras from Persia. The Romans took on local religions and combined them with their own ideas. They often paired a Roman god with a similar one from the local religion. 10
How did religion work in daily life? Many people had shrines in their houses with a figure of their favourite god. They believed it was important to keep the gods happy with gifts or statues. The gods could also help you get revenge on someone you didn t like by putting a curse on them. Sometimes people buried a small dead animal, such as a dog, under their houses to protect the house and bring good luck. What industries were here? The population of a busy, cosmopolitan town like Londinium demanded a variety of different crafts and trades. Leather workers had workshops by the Walbrook stream. Toolmakers made tools for a range of local crafts. Residues of copper and iron working from Southwark show that successive Roman metalworkers used this area for about 300 years. Industrial pottery production has been found in the Moorgate area and on the site of St. Paul s Cathedral. Huge millstones from the Walbrook area suggest bakers were using flour from water-driven mills. What about trade? Trade was vital for Londinium s early growth but there is much less evidence for it in the third and fourth centuries AD. One reason might be declining river levels, which would have made it harder for ships to navigate the Thames. But despite civil war and barbarian attacks in the north-west provinces, there is still evidence of some imported goods in Londinium. 11
Roman coins, 307AD 310 AD Roman finger ring, 1 AD 100 AD 12
Roman jewellery ring, bracelet, brooch, necklace, hairpin, 43 AD 410 AD Fragment of Roman mosaic, 101 AD 200 AD 13