EDINBURGH.- Opening this weekend, a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland sheds new light on the Roman occupation in Scotland, demonstrating how this significant frontier was supplied from across the Empire, and looking at the impacts this occupation had on the local population.

Bringing together recent research, significant loans from across Europe and previously unseen archaeological discoveries from Scotland, Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire tells new stories of Roman occupation and reshapes our understanding of Scotland’s relationship with the Roman world.  

Central to the exhibition are finds from a 2nd century AD Roman fort at Inveresk in East Lothian, a site whose full significance is revealed in this exhibition. The Antonine Wall was built across the narrowest part of Scotland, with additional forts along the coasts to east and west. Inveresk was one of these and grew to become a major centre with a substantial population.

Recent excavations have transformed our understanding of the site, highlighting its significance in the story of Roman Scotland. The fort was home to the world’s most northerly Mithraeum (temple to the god Mithras), and the exhibition’s centrepiece is two spectacular altars from the temple, newly conserved and on display for the first time.

A thriving town surrounded the military base at Inveresk. This bustling community, ranging from soldiers and their families to traders, craftworkers and enslaved people, is brought to life in the exhibition. Locals in this occupied land had to interact with these invading groups, and the exhibition will paint a vivid picture of their relationships, from bloodshed to diplomatic deals.

Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistory and Roman Archaeology at National Museums Scotland said: “This rich exhibition is the first to explore Roman attempts to conquer Scotland in detail, asking why they failed, what effect they had on the locals, and examining the legacy they left behind. The extraordinary material found at Inveresk sheds new light on the peak of Roman occupation in Scotland, revealing how this significant frontier outpost and fortification was supplied from across the Empire, and taking visitors beyond the soldiers and into the lives of a vibrant and diverse frontier community.”

Objects are brought together from international collections, including the earliest known copy of De vita Iulii Agricolae, on loan from Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Rome, and institutions across the UK.

Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire is accompanied by a programme of events at the National Museum of Scotland, including a Museum Late and an in-conversation with historian, author and broadcaster Greg Jenner, host of BBC Radio 4's You're Dead To Me. A book of the same title has also been published by Archeopress.