REDISCOVERING THE ANTONINE WALL – MAKING OUR ROMAN HERITAGE MATTER
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-03-02

The Antonine Wall is Rome’s North-western frontier and part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site. Yet it is not as well-known as it could be, in part due to its larger and better known southern neighbour, Hadrian’s Wall. Since its inscription in 2008, six partners who manage the Wall have been working together on a range of projects to improve awareness and relevance of the monument to the local communities who live along its length. These communities were asked what they wanted to see in their area and, through an extensive consultation process, helped to co-design a series of local initiatives. These ranged from sensory gardens to ‘Antonine Wall’ arboretums; from graffiti projects for young people to intergenerational activities. The Wall runs through a wide variety of communities across a heavily populated area of central Scotland, including some areas of extreme deprivation and areas with a high number of asylum seekers. The results have fed into a £2.2 million project (which started in 2019) to deliver a range of community benefits, from Roman-themed playparks (co-designed with local school children) and replica distance stones through to volunteer training programmes and arts and museum outreach work. The diversity of regiments recorded along the wall will also feed into activities for refugee groups. The projects underway are ambitious, and seek to use our Roman heritage for transformational economic and societal benefit.


Author(s): Jones, Rebecca - Weeks, Patricia (HES Historic Environment Scotland) - McMullen, Emma (West Dunbartonshire Council)