The Roman West Midlands — Interactive Map
This interactive map brings together archaeological finds and Roman sites from across the West Midlands region, giving teachers and pupils a window into the Roman history on their doorstep. The map was compiled using data from local historical records and archaeological surveys, and is regularly updated as new information becomes available.
What's on the Map?
Military Sites
Settlements and buildings
Settlements and buildings
Roman forts, camps, marching camps, temporary camps, fortresses, outposts, and signal stations. Named sites include Lunt Roman Fort, Metchley Roman Fort, Greensforge Marching Camp, Alcester Roman Fort, and many others.
Settlements and buildings
Settlements and buildings
Settlements and buildings
Roman towns, villas, farmsteads, bath houses, temples, granaries, amphitheatres, aqueducts, bridges, walls, and gates. Highlights include Wroxeter (Viroconium Cornoviorum), Letocetum (Wall), and a Romano-British temple at Wroxeter.
Roads
Settlements and buildings
Roads
The routes of Roman roads across the region, including Icknield Street, Watling Street, and numerous connecting roads and roads of unknown origin.
Coins
Settlements and buildings
Roads
Individual coin finds and coin hoards from across the region, including coins of specific emperors. Several significant hoards are marked, including the Wem Treasure Hoard, the South Warwickshire Hoard, the Saltley Coin Hoard, and the Shrewsbury Coin Hoard.
Personal Items
Pottery and industrial finds
Pottery and industrial finds
Hair pins, brooches, rings, cosmetic pestles, perfume bottles, nail cleaners, razors, helmets, keys, glass items, and items of jewellery including gold amulets and engraved gemstone intaglios.
Pottery and industrial finds
Pottery and industrial finds
Pottery and industrial finds
Samian ware, Roman pottery, pottery kilns, tile kilns, mortaria, and evidence of glass furnaces, iron mines, iron smelting, and stone quarries.
Burial and religious finds
Pottery and industrial finds
Burial and religious finds
Roman cemeteries, cremations, sarcophagus fragments, tombs, temples, and votive items.
3D Finds
Pottery and industrial finds
Burial and religious finds
A special category of finds for which 3D renderings are available, including brooches, figurines, harness fittings, vessels, and other objects, allowing pupils to examine the items in detail online.
Ideas for Using the Map
Local History
Local History
Ask pupils to find Roman sites or finds near your school. What does their location tell us about how the Romans used and organised the landscape?
Object Study
Local History
Click on individual pins to find photographs and, for some finds, 3D renderings. Use these as primary sources for discussion: what can an object like a brooch, a cosmetic pestle, or an engraved gemstone tell us about daily life in Roman Britain?
Class Museum
Each pupil chooses a different object from the map and researches it. The class then creates a display or presentation as if they were curating their own Roman West Midlands museum exhibition, writing labels and explanations for their chosen object.
A Woman's World
The map includes finds like hair pins, cosmetic pestles, perfume bottles, brooches, and jewellery. Ask pupils to choose one of these objects and imagine the woman who owned it. Who was she? Was she a Roman from Italy or a local Briton? What was her daily life like? They could write a diary entry, a short biography, or a description of a day in her life.
Roman Children
The map includes gaming pieces and dice found across the region. Ask pupils to imagine a child living near one of the settlements on the map. What might their daily life have looked like? They could write a diary entry, draw their home, or design a game a Roman child might have played.
Creative Writing
Ask pupils to choose a find from the map and imagine the story behind it. Who owned this object? How did it end up in the ground? Who found it, and when?
Mystery Object
Coin Detectives
Some finds on the map are listed simply as "unknown object" or have uncertain identifications. Ask pupils to choose one, look at the photograph or 3D rendering, and come up with their own theory about what it might be and how it might have been used. They could write a label for it, draw it, or present their ideas to the class.
Coin Detectives
Coin Detectives
There are dozens of individual coin finds and hoards on the map. Ask pupils to choose a coin and research the emperor on it. What was happening in the Roman Empire when this coin was made?
Roman News Report
Pupils choose a find or site from the map and write a news report as if they are a Roman journalist reporting on it at the time. What is the story? Who are they interviewing?
Spot the Soldier
Postcard from Britain
Using the military sites on the map, ask pupils to trace the Roman army's movements across the region. Where were the forts positioned and why? What does the presence of marching camps and temporary camps tell us about how the army operated on campaign?
Postcard from Britain
Postcard from Britain
Postcard from Britain
Pupils imagine they are a Roman soldier stationed at one of the forts on the map and write a postcard home describing what they can see and what their life is like.
Treasure Hunter
Postcard from Britain
Postcard from Britain
There are a remarkable number of treasure hoards on the map. Ask pupils to choose one and investigate: how many coins were in it, when were they buried, and why might someone have hidden their valuables and never come back to collect them?