Nigel Mills 
Presenting the Romans 
Interpreting the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site

Explores the issues and the use of best practice interpretation principles in bringing the Roman world to life for visitors and educational users.


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 allprovide 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 Content

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

Images from the Past: Fibulae as Evidence for the Architectural Appearance of Roman Fort Gates – 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