Everyday life

Most people in the countryside continued to be peasant farmers after the Romans arrived. Life revolved around the seasons. There were crops to be planted and harvested, and animals to be milked, tended and slaughtered.

Excavations at Irby and Halewood show that farmers were growing cereals such as barley, emmer and spelt wheat, as well as beans and peas.

Animal bones rarely survive but bones from Irby or Court Farm show that sheep, pigs, cattle and chickens were all kept. Livestock were seen as a measure of wealth. Oxen were important to the local people and often occur in decorative metalwork such as mounts on wooden buckets.

Alongside farming, they also spun wool and wove their own clothing. Numerous spindle whorls show that spinning wool to make yarn was a common activity at the farms. The local farmers may have learnt bronze casting, to make decorative items such as brooches, and blacksmithing to make their own iron tools.

Who lives in a roundhouse like this?

Transcript of the video

[Loyd Grossman stood outside the reconstructed roundhouse]

Well this dwelling is an exemplar of good, solid, no nonsense Iron Age architecture... (gestures toward roundhouse) the rustic yet functional wattle and daub walls... the low level front door... and this marvellous long straw thatched roof.

[Loyd Grossman voices over as the camera explores inside the roundhouse]

Looking inside, someone here has a love of the outdoors and hunting... just look at the intricately painted animal figures on the walls.

Cooking is obviously very important to whoever lives here. An open hearth to cook on and it seems that they even grind their own wheat to make bread.

This strange looking contraption is a weaving loom with which to make your own clothes... so who ever lives here is probably a rather snappy dresser... dedicated followers of fashion I'm sure!

These every day, hand crafted, pots seem to be of Romano-British origin... so we might be getting a little closer to who actually does live here.

[Loyd Grossman stood outside the door of the roundhouse]

It may be that these dwellers are Living with the Romans. Now that you've seen the evidence... Who lives in a roundhouse like this? It's over to you.

[Broccus and Elonid emerge from the door of the roundhouse]

Broccus: Hello, I'm Broccus

Elonid: And I'm Elonid

Broccus: We are members of the Brigantes tribe and we'd like to welcome you anytime to our humble abode. You can visit our village any day so long as it is after we've done our morning chores.

Elonid: Yes, come along and see us at the Museum of Liverpool Life and see what it is like to be Living with the Romans.

You can also view the video here.

The influence of the Romans

Very little changed immediately when the Romans arrived but within a generation or two local people increasingly came into contact with Roman fashions. New farms were set up in the countryside, some settled by retired soldiers familiar with Roman manners and customs, some by natives from elsewhere in Britain. People began to use pottery in their everyday lives for preparing and serving food. Luxury wares were imported from the continent and more functional types came from other areas of England and were also made locally.

People gradually started to use Roman coins in the countryside to buy the new types of goods in local markets although traditional ways of exchanging goods and produce probably continued throughout the period.

New styles of clothing and jewellery were introduced. Brooches became a common dress accessory for men and women and hobnailed shoes appeared for the first time. Women now had access to Roman cosmetics and fashion jewellery.

The greater use of durable materials means that much more survives from the Roman period than before.

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