The social and economic impact of Hadrian’s Wall

The Past reproduced online an article from Current Archaeology which draws together evidence from what is now north east England of the impact on local conditions of the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. This is based on archaeological evidence from both sides of the Wall and looking at the periods from the late Iron Age, before the Romans arrived through to the later years of their rule.

The evidence suggests an established pattern of Iron Age farming, disrupted by the invasion and conquest, and then adaptation to new circumstances. North of the Wall was a region that supplied the Romans at least at times, south of the fortified line a developing Romanised society akin to much of the rest of Britannia.

This interesting and insightful article with its maps and photographs can be seen at Before and after Hadrian’s Wall: Living on the Roman frontier east of the Pennines