Visible Invisibles: Women in Roman Archaeology

Schedule

Thu Mar 11 2027 at 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC+00:00
Location

Augustine United Church | Edinburgh, SC

This lecture will be presented by Dr Rebecca Jones FSAScot and Tatiana Ivleva.
About this Event

About the Lecture

Female scholars have played a key role in furthering our understanding of Roman archaeology (in Britain and abroad), but their contributions have often not been given due recognition.

Whilst many other periods of archaeology are restating the contributions of women, Roman archaeology lags behind.

This lecture will present the research that the two speakers have been undertaking in collaboration with a network of scholars on women working in Roman-Britain and in Roman provincial archaeology in the 19th and 20th centuries.

They look at biographies of individual women and the reasons why their work is not better known and why they have not received greater recognition. These are myriad but relate to their opportunities (and lack of), wealth, university and employment barriers, areas of study (for example, sites or finds), time periods and geography. Yet their contributions have shaped the discipline in which archaeologists work today.

Case studies of key scholars, themes and trends emerging, challenges and opportunities will be presented.




About the Speakers

Dr Jones is Keeper of Scottish History & Archaeology at National Museums Scotland. She was formerly Head of Archaeology and World Heritage at Historic Environment Scotland.

A graduate of Newcastle University and the University of Glasgow, her research focuses on the Roman army in Scotland; the history of Roman archaeology; and World Heritage (including the impacts of climate change). She is co-Chair of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies and a Visiting Professor at Heriot-Watt University.


Dr Ivleva is a Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University where she was a Marie Curie Research Fellow. Her research interests are in Roman provincial archaeology specialising in portable material culture, particularly personal adornments, Roman frontiers and Roman frontier communities.

Her publications include books such as Embracing the Provinces: Society and Material Culture of the Roman Frontier Regions, Un-Roman Sex: Gender, Sexuality and Lovemaking in Roman Provinces and Frontiers, and numerous papers on migration and mobility, family formations in the Roman army, and experimental archaeology.


Together, Drs Jones and Ivleva are collaborating on research into the historiography of Roman archaeology, with a focus on female archaeologists.




Format

This will be a hybrid event which will take place both in Augustine United Church and live-streamed online, with the recording uploaded to our YouTube channel and Spotify account shortly after the lecture. Please keep an eye on the Society website and e-newsletters for the latest news and further information on Society events.

Doors open at 5:45pm. The main lecture will be preceded by a short presentation by early career researcher Amy-Jo Kearton FSAScot on the topic of the Scottish archaeologist, Margaret Stewart.

The lecture will be followed by a Q&A. In-person attendees are also welcome to stay for a free drinks reception from approximately 7pm where you can discuss the debate and other interests with the speakers, Society Fellows and other attendees.




Discount on Society Books

All in-person and online attendees of this event are entitled to £5 off the purchase of any Society book.

Books will be available to purchase from our stall at Augustine United Church at the event, and online attendees will receive a code in their reminder emails to use in our online shop, which will be valid until midnight (UK time) on Saturday 13 March 2027.

Please note: Fellows who are logged in receive a 20% discount on books at checkout on the Society's online shop. This may be combined with the £5 off event discount code. The 20% off for Fellows is an online-only discount and is not redeemable in person at the venue.




Your Ticket

Booking is essential for members of the public and Fellows of the Society. If you have reserved a ticket and can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket via Eventbrite or contact [email protected] to allow someone else to take your place.




House Rules

The Society has a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and bullying.

All attendees are requested to act with respect to one another during this hybrid event.

Anyone making comments which we believe to be inappropriate (for example, offensive or abusive) will be removed from the event immediately. Equivalent procedures (for example, with regards to spam) will apply online.




Active and Sustainable Travel

To help to tackle climate change and decrease congestion and pollution from cars, the Society encourages you to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport to travel to and from this event if possible.

Lothian Buses run services along George IV Bridge, Forrest Road and nearby South Bridge. There are also bicycle racks directly outside the venue.



Accessibility and Venue

The main entrance to the church is up four steps with a handrail.

A standard accessible toilet is available on the ground floor and lower level (accessible via lift).

Assistance dogs are welcome inside the venue.

Please note, the hearing loop facility is unavailable. The venue is working on a replacement and hope to have it up and running soon. We apologise for any inconvenience.

If attending via Zoom, captions are included.

If you require step-free access or any other assistance to enjoy the event as an online or in-person attendee, please let us know by answering the accessibility question at booking.

If there are any other ways we can make this event more accessible for you (as an online or an in-person attendee), please give us details at the booking stage. Thank you.

You can find further information on the venue’s accessibility on the Augustine United Church website.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed at this event are solely those of the event organisers. They do not necessarily reflect the policies, positions, or views of Augustine United Church.




Support Our Work

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is grateful for our Fellows across the globe whose support enables us to make these event free and open to all.

Founded in 1780, the Society is an independent heritage charity with a global Fellowship. We facilitate research through grants and awards, advocate as a voice for heritage, and share knowledge of the past through events, publications and projects.

Anyone who is interested in Scotland’s past can apply to become a Fellow. In addition to helping to support the Society achieve its aims and charitable objectives, benefits of Fellowship include exclusive online access to all articles in the most recent Proceedings – the Society’s annual peer-reviewed journal, the use of FSAScot postnominals, discounts on Society publications (20%) and some events, and invitations to Fellows-only tours and Online Fellows’ Meetings.

To find out more, please visit our website or sign up to the Society's free public e-newsletter.



Event Photos



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For the past decade, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland has been working towards a transformative vision: to create a new home for the Society and a national heritage hub for Scotland.

But we need your help to make this vision a reality. Visit our website for more information on the project and to find out how you can support the fundraising campaign.



Event Photos

Images: Anne S. Robertson at Croy Hill on the Antonine Wall in either 1956 or 1957 (Credit: From the collection and with kind permission of Lawrence Keppie); Elizabeth Hodgson at Appletree, guiding on the Fourth Pilgrimage of Hadrian’s Wall in 1920 (Credit: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, series 3, vol. 9, no. 22, p. 284); Fellows at an exclusive event (© Society of Antiquaries of Scotland); Artist’s impression of the Bristo Place Building (© Benjamin Tindall Architects).


Where is it happening?

Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Tickets

GBP 0.00 to GBP 15.00

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