Hadrian's Wall

Built around AD122, Hadrian's Wall was guarded by the Roman army for over three centuries and has left an indelible mark on the landscape of northern Britain. It was a wonder of the ancient world and is a World Heritage Site. Written by a leading archaeologist who has excavated widely on the Wall, this is an authoritative yet accessible treatment of the archaeological evidence. The book explains why the expansion of the Roman empire ground to a halt in remote northern Britain, how the Wall came to be built and the purpose it was intended to serve. It is not a guidebook to the remains, but an introduction to the Wall and the soldiers and civilians, men, women and children, who once peopled the abandoned ruins visited by tourists today. Contents include: Historical background to the Wall; How the Wall was built and its appearance on completion; The history of the Wall from Hadrian to the end of Roman Britain; The purpose of the Wall. This introduction to Hadrian's Wall, the most impressive and famous physical reminder of Britain's Roman past, will be of great interest to all students and keen amateurs of Roman history, archaeology and general history, and is profusely illustrated throughout with 60 colour and 30 black & white photographs and 10 Maps.

Nick Hodgson read Modern History at Oxford and wrote a PhD thesis on the frontiers of the Roman empire at Newcastle University. He has worked for twenty-nine years as an archaeologist for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. He has excavated widely on Hadrian's Wall and since 1989 has co-directed long-running programmes of excavation at the forts of South Shields and Wallsend on Tyneside. He is an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Archaeology, Durham University and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.