Viroconium

Classics scholars will be interested in our small collection of artefacts from the ancient world, which includes  items from two sites in Roman Britain, each of which is believed (by some) to be the fabled mythical location of King Arthur’s Camelot.

Artefacts from Viroconium

Artefacts from Viroconium

Artefacts from Caerleon

A Selection of Ceramic and Metal Artefacts from Viroconium

The artefacts, along with a collection of books, were donated to the University in January 2003 by the Reverend Wardlow Little and his wife. The Reverend Little is a retired teacher of Classics who taught Greek and Latin at a number of Sydney schools in the 1950s – 60s.

This “Little” Collection consists of around 120 objects, most of which represent the fruits of a 6-week archaeological dig conducted in 1960 at Viroconium (the ancient name of Wroxeter in Shropshire) and a nearby Iron Age hill-fort. Other sites in Roman Britain represented by artefacts include Caerleon (“City of the Legion”) near Newport in Southern Wales and Mawgan Porth in Cornwall. Viroconium was the fourth largest city in Roman Britain and was first settled by the Romans in AD48. Both Viroconium and Caerleon have their supporters as possible sites of King Arthur’s legendary capital, Camelot.

Iron Nail artefacts

Besides artefacts from Roman Britain, the collection also includes items from the Greek islands of Aegina and Sphacteria and the ancient city of Gournia, known as the “Pompeii of Minoan Crete”. Sphacteria was the site of a major battle of the Peloponnesian War recorded by Thucydides, where the Athenian general Demosthenes captured the Spartan forces.

Closeups Artefacts from Viroconium

Artefacts from Sphacteria and Gournia

Professor Harold Tarrant, Head of the School of Liberal Arts at the University, said that while the collection was small it was not insignificant and would be a significant teaching tool for the University’s scholars and students of Roman Britain, as well as a wonderful addition to the University’s special research collections. “We’re very interested in creating and expanding the University’s collection of such artefacts, I would encourage more donors to come forward and consider depositing their collections with the University of Newcastle, our staff and students would greatly appreciate such a gift” he said.

Professor Harold Tarrant, Head of the School of Liberal Arts with Dr Edward Bridle, Archivist and Anglo-Saxon Scholar

Artefacts from the Island of Aegina Various artefacts including Roman Red Brick

Various artefacts Wroxeter Glass artefacts

Various Metal Artefacts from Viroconium

The artefacts represent the University’s oldest examples of ancient European culture and are available for viewing in the Archives Rare Books & Special Collections Reading Room in the Auchmuty Library. All Welcome.

Gionni di Gravio

24th January 2003