Wales & Western Britain

Conferences/Lectures

Emperors, Usurpers, Tyrants: The history and archaeology
of Western Britain from AD 350 to 500
Cardiff University 30-31 October 2010

To commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the End of Roman Britain, and to celebrate The Roman Society's centenary, the Cardiff University and the Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association are hosting a two-day conference to explore the evidence for Roman continuity in western Britain in the 5th century.

Did the end of Roman rule mean the sudden abandonment of Roman culture throughout Britain? How much of Roman culture and traditions survived into the 5th century in Wales and the West? Did people continue to think of themselves as Romans or Roman Britons after 400? How did events in England affect how population of Western Britain saw themselves and the world around them? The results of new archaeological research have an important contribution to make to the study of the emergence of an early Welsh identity from the legacy of Roman Britain, and 2010 is a timely opportunity to bring this work together and attempt a synthesis. The conference will include a wide range of papers on the history and archaeology of 5th century Wales and Western Britain, delivered by experts at the forefront of current research. Themes and topics include the survival of town life, the Roman army, Roman and 'post'-Roman material culture and the transition to Christianity, as well as coinage, pottery and inscriptions. Members of the audience will be able to put questions to the experts during a 'Question Time' panel discussion on the second day. The conference is sponsored by The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. For more information, conference programme and booking form visit the conference website.