Smells of Roman streets A multi-sensory exploration of Roman London
Contents National Curriculum links and session description 1 Practical guidelines 2 Pre-visit and follow-up activities 3 Teachers notes for Roman London gallery 4-5 Gallery plan 6 Visual symbols 7-11 Background notes on Roman London 12-14 Planning your journey 15
Session aims & learning outcomes Pupils will have opportunities to: develop confidence working in an unfamiliar space have a range of sensory experiences experience visiting a museum hold and learn about objects from the past indicate a preference when offered a choice of objects. Curriculum links KS2 History The visit will link to Key Stage 2 History, particularly work on the effects of Roman Settlement in Britain and how British society was shaped by the Roman settlements in London (9). Through historical enquiry your pupils will develop knowledge of the experiences of men, women and children of this period. Through this they will gain an understanding of the characteristic features of Roman London (1a, 2a, 2b, 4a). Session description The session takes place in the Roman London gallery. Pupils will have the opportunity to handle original and replica Roman objects from the Museum s collection. Pupils have the opportunity to dress like the statue in the gallery and try on some Roman costumes. Smelling cubes are used to create some of the smells of Roman London. Move to the Roman house and gather round the kitchen. Opportunity to hold and feel a Roman mortaria (bowl). Different smells to experience and tastes to try if pupils are able (honey and bread). Explore the house, pupils given different pictures and objects to try and locate in the gallery. Create a piece of Roman jewellery. Pupils gather in the Temple of Mithras and look again at the Bulla example and pictures. Pupils have the opportunity to make their own Roman brooch. Pupils take the brooches home with them as a memory of the visit. The session lasts 60 minutes. 1
Practical guidelines Your session Please check your confirmation letter which will confirm the time of your session and any gallery time you have been allocated. If there are any problems please contact the SEN Programme Manager on 020 7814 5549 or SEN@museumoflondon.org.uk Arrival, cloakroom and toilets When you arrive at the Museum please check in and show your confirmation form at the information desk at the main entrance. You will be directed to the Lunch Space in the Clore Learning Centre where you will be able to leave your coats and bags and go to the toilet before entering the galleries. Please do not leave valuables in the Lunch Space. Session The session will last 60 minutes and Museum staff will show you where you need to go. Lunch Please check your confirmation letter for your allocated lunch slot. There is no eating or drinking in the galleries, so please ensure that all food stuffs are left in the Lunch Space. SEN provision The Museum is fully accessible. Parking is available for SEN groups. Please contact our SEN Programme Manager to discuss any specific needs on 020 7814 5549 or at SEN@museumoflondon.org.uk Shop The shop sells a variety of books and products to support learning, as well as pocket money items. For further details contact the shop by email at shop@museumoflondon.org.uk or call 020 7814 5600. Photography Photography during schools session is welcomed. You are also welcome to take general photographs within the Museum galleries, but not close-ups of individual objects. The use of flash or tripods is not permitted. These images may only be reproduced for personal or educational purposes, which include reproducing the image as a classroom teaching aid or as part of a school project. Any publication of the image for any other purpose is forbidden, which includes publication on any website. As an alternative pictures of many of our key objects are available to download from the Picture Bank on our website. Postcards and posters can be purchased from the shop and prints may be purchased from our on demand print website www.museumoflondonprints.com Risk assessments It is the responsibility of the group leader to carry out a risk assessment and teachers are encouraged to make a planning visit and to carry out their own assessment. The Museum makes regular assessments of public spaces and activities for its own use and this document is available on request, but this is only for teachers information and does not constitute an official risk assessment. Organising your group Please ensure that you have at least one adult for every five pupils and that the adults accompany them at all times. 2
Pre-visit activities 1. Prepare for the session by introducing and allowing the pupils to experience the smells of different types of food (herbs, spices, etc.). 2. Look at some reproductions of paintings and sculptures and discuss how clothing and objects in the pictures give us clues about the subject (e.g. rich/poor, young/old, job, 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. Use the visual timetable that accompanies this pack to familiarise your pupils with the different stage of their visit. The exact session times will be included with your booking information. 5. You can also browse the Museum of London online learning resources 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. Look at some examples of Roman art (mosaics, sculpture, pottery, etc.) and make your own simple mosaic with coloured paper or a pot with clay. 4. Create a class dictionary using writing, sign language or symbols of all the new words encountered during this topic. 3
Teachers notes for Roman London gallery The following displays and exhibits from the gallery can be used to reinforce and develop themes raised in the Roman waterwheel and object handling workshop. Themes The Boudiccan revolt Display/Exhibit in the Roman London gallery Exhibit: Chariots of Fire? A small display of pottery burnt in the Boudiccan revolt. Points for discussion with pupils Discuss how we know that the fire happened and why it destroyed so much of Londinium. A Roman kitchen Exhibit: The Latest in Modern Kitchens? A reconstructed room and adjoining larder showing how a kitchen may have looked in a wealthy Roman house. Including a combination of original artefacts, archaeological remains and replicas. The idea of archaeological evidence is introduced in this display. Discuss evidence and ask children how they might go about reconstructing a period room. Which foodstuffs do they recognise and still use, which are missing? Poor Roman household circa AD 100 Exhibit: The Simple Life A reconstruction of a craft worker s house based on excavations at Newgate Street. The indoor bucket latrine is based on one found at Housesteads fort on Hadrian s Wall. The walls are made of timber and clay construction and the floor is beaten earth. There are few authentic artefacts, the occupant could not afford many things and those he had would have been made of insubstantial materials which have decayed. The room is lit by candles, cheaper than oil lamps. The hearth is the focal point and would have been used for cooking and heating. Ask why there are so few objects in the room? How was the room lit and how flexible was the lighting system? 4
The carpentry trade Exhibit: A Carpenter s Workshop Discuss the types of items the carpenter would have made. Are they similar to those made by modern carpenters? Look at his tools were they well designed? Wealthy Roman household circa AD 300 Exhibit: Desirable Residence? A reconstruction of a wealthy house including an original mosaic. British pottery and pewter ware is displayed whilst the furniture has been reconstructed from carvings and representations found in mosaics and wall-paintings. The room also has a glazed window, and would have had a hypocaust (under floor heating system). This room introduces the concept of change within the Roman period. Not only has the room itself become more comfortable, but more of the artefacts within it are made in Britain. Consider how and why this is not the same as the last (wealthy) room. Is it more or less comfortable and why? Which room contains most British made goods, and why might the quantity have changed? Religion Exhibit: Spirituality or Superstition? and East and West The Romans integrated many British gods and worship practices into their religion. Discuss the advantages/disadvantages of integrating British gods into the Roman religion. How did people worship their gods? Which gods were linked to specific trades or activities? 5
Gallery plan The Roman London gallery tells the story of London, or as it was called by the Romans, Londinium, between AD50 and AD410. Reconstructed rooms and models, an original mosaic, and a stunning collection of beads, board games, saucepans, skeletons, armour, shoes and other everyday objects reveal the way Roman Londoners lived and worked. Recommended activities include sketching mosaic designs, collecting information on the various trades, and discussing the equipment and weapons Roman soldiers would carry with them on their travels. 6
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Background to Roman London Facts and figures about Londinium Londinium was the first town in Britain. 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. New York has been in existence for nearly as long - Sydney for just 200 years. 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 50,000 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.
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. You would have been about 6cm shorter than people 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. 13
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 with their own ideas. They often paired a Roman god with a similar one from the local religion. 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 god, 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. 14
Planning your journey Museum of London Free admission Open Mon to Sun 10am-6pm Last admission 5.30pm Museum of London London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN 0870 444 3851 www.musuemoflondon.org.uk info@museumoflondon.org.uk Free travel All schools within the Greater London area can take advantage of Transport for London s School Party Travel Scheme. See www.tfl.gov.uk/schoolparty or call London Underground Customer Services on 0845 330 9881 for details. Getting to the Museum By tube - St Paul s, Barbican, Moorgate, By rail - Liverpool St, City Thameslink By bus - 4, 8, 25, 56, 100, 172, 242, 501, 521 Travel by coach/minibus The Museum does not have a coach park. Coaches may stop briefly to drop-off and pick up at bus stops on London Wall (travelling towards Moorgate) and Aldersgate Street (travelling towards the Museum). We have disabled minibus parking spaces for blue or orange card holders. Please speak to the SEN Officer when making your booking if you require a disabled parking space. 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 15