A long way from home - diaspora communities in Roman Britain

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"Britain under Rome was truly multi-cultural, with documentary evidence attesting to the presence of, among others, Gaulish, Germanic, Danubian and North African peoples. Some of these immigrants came by choice (e.g. as merchants) but others were forced to move (e.g. slaves and conscripts). These diaspora communities made distinct contributions to Romano-British culture, a fact that is sometimes forgotten in archaeological approaches that focus on only the unifying and 'Romanising' features of the Roman Empire. This project will investigate the life experiences of diaspora communities in Roman Britain by combining the study of material culture with osteological and chemical analysis of human remains. We will explore how communities that came to Britain either through coercion or choice created identities that were distinct from the host society and maintained ideological and personal links with their homeland. We aim to identify immigrants through ancestral traits and isotopic analysis. Osteological analysis of skeletal remains from selected sites (York & Poundbury near Dorchester) will include forensic methods of studying, for example, skull morphology to establish ancestry. A group of unusual child burials from Poundbury will be studied to establish whether their distinct pathologies are due to sickle cell anaemia, a condition almost exclusively limited to people of African descent Multi-proxy Isotopic analysis will test for isotopes (strontium, oxygen and lead) that are indicative of geographical origin. Many diaspora communities remain faithful to their dietary habits and the examination of foodways through isotopic analysis (carbon & nitrogen) will form a crucial aspect of this project In particular, a diet rich in marine foods may be seen as conveying ""Roman"" and possibly immigrant identities. We will also examine artefact, burial and ritual evidence from selected sites to reveal the cultural experience of diaspora communities in Roman Britain."