Presenting the Romans: Interpreting the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site

Issues in the public presentation and interpretation of the archaeology of Hadrian's Wall and other frontiers of the Roman Empire are explored and addressed here. A central theme is the need for interpretation to be people-focussed, and for visitors to be engaged through narratives and approaches which help them connect with figures in the past: daily life, relationships, craft skills, communications, resonances with modern frontiers and modern issues all provide means of helping an audience to connect, delivering a greater understanding, better visitor experiences, increased visiting and spend, and an enhanced awareness of the need to protect and conserve our heritage. Topics covered include re-enactment, virtual and physical reconstruction, multi-media, smartphones, interpretation planning and design; while new evidence from audience research is also presented to show how visitors respond to different strategies of engagement.
Nigel Mills is Director, World Heritage and Access, The Hadrian's Wall Trust.
Contributors: Genevieve Adkins, M.C. Bishop, Lucie Branczik, David J. Breeze, Mike Corbishley, Jim Devine, Erik Dobat, Matthias Flück, Christof Flügel, Snezana Golubovic, Susan Greaney, Tom Hazenberg, Don Henson, Richard Hingley, Nicky Holmes, Martin Kemkes, Miomir Korac, Michaela Kronberger, Nigel Mills, Jürgen Obmann, Tim Padley, John Scott, R. Michael Spearman, Jürgen Trumm, Sandra Walkshofer, Christopher Young,
Table of Contents
Introduction: Presenting the Romans - Issues and Approaches to Interpretation - Nigel Mills
Tradition and Innovation: Creating a New Handbook to the Roman Wall - David Breeze
Re-enactment and Living History - Issues about Authenticity - Mike C. Bishop
Reconstruction Drawings: Illustrating the Evidence - Susan Greaney
Images from the Past: Fibulae as Evidence for the Architectural Appearance of Roman Fort Gates - Christof Flugel and Jürgen Obmann
Multimedia Interpretation Techniques for Reconstructing the Roman Past at the Limes Museum in Aalen and at the Limes in Baden-Württemberg - Martin Kemkes
Vindonissa: Changing Presentations of a Roman Legionary Fortress - Jürgen Trumm and Matthias Fluck
Bringing to Life the Ancient City of Viminacium on the Danube - Snezana Golubovic and Miomir Korac
An International View of Reconstruction - Christopher Young
A Roman Museum for Vienna - Michaela Kronberger
Woerden - Hoochwoert (Dutch Limes): Showing the Invisible - Tom Hazenberg
Mainlimes Mobil: Presenting Archaeology and Museums with the Help of Smartphones - Erik Dobat and Sandra Walkshofer and Christof Flugel
Voices from the Past: Presenting (re)Constructed Environments through Multimedia Technologies - Jim Devine
Digital Reconstruction and the Public Interpretation of Frontiers - R. M. Spearman
Information, Disinformation and Downright Lies: Portraying the Romans - Mike Corbishley
Romanes eunt Domus? - Don Henson
The Living Frontier: the Passing of Time on Hadrian's Wall - Richard Hingley
The Hadrian's Wall Interpretation Framework: Audience Research - Genevieve Adkins and Nicky Holmes and Nigel Mills
The Hadrian's Wall Interpretation Framework - Nigel Mills and Genevieve Adkins
Applying the Hadrian's Wall Interpretation Framework - Nigel Mills and Tim Padley and John Scott and Lucie Branczik and Genevieve Adkins