Roman Finds Group Meetings
Our next event is our 2023 Autumn Conference New Research on finds from the Edges of Roman Britain and Beyond. You can find further details and information on how to book a ticket here
Previous Meetings
18th August 2022 Zoom in on Roman Finds: New Perspectives on 'Military' Finds
A RFG Member only evening seminar: Two talks from RFG Members looking at Armillae and late Roman strap-ends
6th May - 7th May 2022 2022 RFG Spring Meeting: New Research on Finds from Roman Carlisle and the West of Hadrian’s Wall
The 2022 RFG Spring Meeting was held at Carlisle, in association with Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and supported by Carlisle City Council. The title was New Research on Finds from Roman Carlisle and the West of Hadrians Wall. Delegates were able to attend live or online.
14th December 2021 Zoom in on Finds: A Christmas Miscellany
A joint meeting between the Roman Finds Group and the Finds Research Group. A series of short, five minute papers, on the zoom platform. Numbers are restricted to 100 and will be divided between RFG and FRG members (re-viewable depending on uptake).
16th November 2021 Zoom in on Roman finds: Artefacts from Roman and late Antique Egypt and Sudan. (18.00 - 19.15)
A RFG Member only seminar, the fifth in our series of evening seminars. Three papers on finds from Egypt and the Sudan
9th September 2021 Zoom in on Roman finds: Rubbish or Ritual in Roman Rivers
A RFG Member only evening seminar: Two talks to coincide with the publication of the Piercebridge finds volume. Talks on on finds from the Tees at Piercebridge and from the the Netherlands.
6th July 2021 Zoom in on Roman Finds: Incredible Objects from 2020
A RFG member only evening seminar: Four short talks from Finds Liaison Officers on the best Roman finds of 2020
27th May 2021 Zoom in on Roman Finds : Phallus Thursday
A RFG member only evening seminar. Four short talks on material with a 'phallic theme'
16th April - 17th April 2021 2021 RFG Spring Meeting. New Research on Finds from the Roman South-West.
The 2021 Spring Roman Finds Group Conference held in association with the University of Exeter is entitled New Research on Finds from the Roman South-West. It is an open access (free) online conference on the zoom platform with six sessions and 23 illustrated talks. With particular thanks to the University of Exeter for the provision of the zoom facility
16th March 2021 Zoom in on Roman Finds : Brooches from the North
A RFG Member only evening seminar. Two talks on new research into Roman Brooches from Northern Britain
16th October - 17th October 2020 RFG 2020 Conference - New Research on Finds from Roman Scotland and the North
Our 2020 Conference, originally scheduled for April, and then October has moved online. Sixteen illustrated papers will be presented in blended content (some pre-recorded and some live) using the zoom platform on Friday 16th October and Saturday 17th October. With particular thanks to Glasgow University LEADS (Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Service) who have provided the zoom facility.
3rd April - 4th April 2020 2020 RFG Spring Meeting New Research on Finds from Roman Scotland and the North - POSTPONED DUE TO CORONA VIRUS
The RFG spring 2020 meeting is being held in the Kelvin Hall Lecture Theatre, University of Glasgow, 3rd-4th April. There are five sessions of papers with seventeen illustrated talks, on various aspects of finds from recent work in Roman Scotland and the North. There is a pre conference tour of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and a wine reception on the Friday evening with a private viewing of 'The Antonine Wall: Rome's Final Frontier'. The RFG AGM will take place on day two before lunch.
11th November - 11th November 2019 RFG 2019 Autumn Meeting: Finds from Roman Colchester
The 2019 RFG Autumn Meeting is based at the Colchester Castle Museum and will be a one-day conference on Monday 11th November. The conference comprises three sessions of papers with eleven talks covering various aspects of Finds from Roman Colchester. It coincides with a major exhibition at the Colchester Castle ‘Adorn’ . There is a guided walk of Roman Colchester with Philip Crummy on Sunday 10th November and over lunchtime on the 11th there will be opportunities to visit the Castle Vaults as well as the Castle Roof (plus, of course, the exhibition).
12th June - 14th June 2019 Hoarding and deposition in Europe from later prehistory to the medieval period - finds in context
The theme of the next Instrumentum Meeting will be hoarding and deposition. Projects on hoards of coins, metalwork and other objects or materials currently being conducted in Britain have looked at both their composition and their locations. Recently excavated hoards also offer the chance to look at little-studied aspects of hoarding as a depositional process, such as the environmental data from pollen and seeds or from materials such as textiles and leather. The conference will also explore other aspects of deposition, including finds in wet contexts and structured deposition, as well as 'stray' or surface finds.
15th October 2018 RFG Autumn Meeting - Finds for the living and finds for the dead in Roman London
The 2018 RFG Autumn Meeting is based at Museum of London Docklands and will be a one-day conference on Monday 15th October. It is being organised jointly with the Museum of London and MOLA. It will take place in the Wilberforce Theatre, Museum of London Docklands, No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL.
24th March - 25th March 2018 Roman Finds Group Canterbury Meeting
This coming spring the Roman Finds Group meeting will tie in with a large project on the small finds from the 1920-30s excavations at Richborough. It will be a two day conference from lunchtime on Saturday 24th March until late afternoon on Sunday 25th March and is to be held at Kent University. The meeting is being organised by Philip Smither and the curatorial team from English Heritage, based at Dover Castle.
20th October - 21st October 2017 Roman Finds Group 30th Anniversary Meeting
This year the Roman Finds Group is 30 years old. To celebrate, we’ve organised our 2017 Autumn Meeting in Salisbury, where there will be a special reception. It will be a two-day conference from lunchtime on Friday 20th October until late afternoon on Saturday 21st October and is to be held in the Lecture Theatre, Salisbury Museum (www.salisburymuseum.org.uk)
21st April 2017 Roman Finds Group Spring Meeting 2017 Verulamium and the Romano-British South East Friday 21st April 2017
The 2017 RFG Spring Meeting was based in St Albans on Friday April 21st, kindly hosted by the Verulamium Museum. The RFG would very much like to thank all those involved with arranging this event.
1st January 2017 The Roman Finds Group Spring Conference Verulamium and the Romano-British Southeast Abstracts
Verulamium Revealed: recent geophysical surveys of the Roman town, see more...
9th September - 10th September 2016 Roman Finds Group Autumn Meeting 2016 Town and Country in Southern Britain Friday 9th – Saturday 10th September 2016
The 2016 RFG Autumn Meeting was based in Reading on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th September. It was hosted by the University of Reading’s Archaeology Department. The RFG would very much like to thank all those involved with arranging this event.
1st May - 2nd May 2016 Roman Finds Group Spring Meeting 2016 Finds from Roman York, Brigantia and Beyond Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April 2016
The 2016 RFG Spring Meeting was based in York on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April and was held in the Philip Rahtz Lecture Theatre, Kings Manor, University of York, jointly hosted by RFG, the Department of Archaeology at the University of York and the Yorkshire Museums Trust. RFG are grateful for the support given to arrangements for the meeting by these organisations.
6th November 2015 Roman Finds Group Autumn Meeting 2015 6th November 2015 The British Museum
The British Museum stagied an exhibition on the Celts in autumn 2015. The RFG, in conjunction with the LPFG (Later Prehistoric Finds Group), hosted a 1-day conference in association with the exhibition. It was held in the Stevenson Theatre of the British Museum on Friday November 6th 2015. Speakers included British Museum curators involved in the exhibition and free entry to the exhibition on the day/evening.
16th March - 17th March 2015 Roman Finds Group Spring Meeting 2015 Centre for Interdisciplinary Artefact Studies, Newcastle University Finds from the Roman North and Beyond 16th - 17th March 2015
The 2015 RFG Spring Meeting was based in Newcastle on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th March and was jointly hosted by RFG and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Artefact Studies of the University (ncl.ac.uk/historical/about/facilities/cias.htm).
1st January 2015 Roman Finds Group Meeting at TRAC2015
Following the success of last year’s Roman Finds Group session at TRAC, we were very pleased to sponsor a session on ‘Interdisciplinary Approaches to Roman Artefacts’.
8th October 2014 Roman Finds Group Autumn Meeting 2014 Finds from Manchester and the North West 8th October 2014, Manchester Museum
Click here to read a review of this meeting, written by Bryan Sitch (Deputy Head of Collections and Curator of Archaeology at Manchester Museum).
27th March - 30th March 2014 Roman Finds Group Meeting at RAC 11/TRAC 24
Roman Finds Group joined the Study Group for Roman Pottery in sponsoring a session at the Roman Archaeology Conference at the University of Reading. Our session was titled Roman Metal Small Finds in Context:
Roman Finds Group Meetings
Roman Finds Group meetings are held twice a year in varying locations, and provide a useful opportunity for presentation and discussion.
Roman Finds Group committee are always in the process of setting an exciting programme of meetings for the next year or two.
Latest News
RFG Exeter Conference 16th and 17th April 2021 - free open access - all welcome
Sorry, this event is now sold out. Click on the link above or visit the meetings page.... Read More »
Call for papers on dress and adornment at the 25th Limes Congress
From 22-28 August 2021 the 25th Limes Congress will take place in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. We would like to invite paper proposals for Session 16: Dress and adornment in frontier communities.... Read More »
Glasgow Conference Postponed
Unfortunately the Glasgow conference due to take place on 3rd/4th April has had to be postponed. Our Autumn 2020 meeting resurrect he meeting with as close to the original programme as possible.... Read More »
Masterclass on Romano-British Brooches
We are delighted to announce that Roman Finds Group committee member Dr Jörn Schuster will be offering a one-day Masterclass on Romano-British Brooches with former RFG committee members Dr Hella Eckhardt and Dr Emma Durham from the University of Reading. This one-day event will enhance your skills in the description, identification and dating of Romano-British brooches. You will also learn about the way the PAS records brooches and the research potential of personal adornment for our understanding of Roman Britain.... Read More »
Happy 30th Birthday, Roman Finds Group!
Roman Finds Group chose the city of Salisbury as the perfect place to celebrate our 30th anniversary at our Autumn 2017 conference, ‘New Research from Finds from South and South-Western Britain’.... Read More »
RFG 30th Anniversary Meeting 20th and 21st October 2017 at Salisbury Museum
This year the Roman Finds Group is 30 years old. To celebrate, we’ve organised our 2017 Autumn Meeting in Salisbury, where there will be a special reception.... Read More »
The metallurgy of our portable heritage
The metallurgy of our portable heritage study day is being held on Saturday the 17th June, 2017 at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London... Read More »
Call For Papers for Autumn RFG Meeting at Salisbury Museum on 20th-21st October 2017
The theme will be ‘Finds from Southern and South-western Britain’. This is call for papers of around 20 minutes in length.... Read More »
An Introduction to Archaeological Illustration - Saturday March 4 and Sunday 5th 2017
This weekend workshop covers aspects and techniques of archaeological illustration under the personal tuition of Mark Hoyle BA(hon);P.G.C.E.;MAAIS; MIfA. The course will look at general techniques and methods of accurately recording small finds including pottery illustration, metal objects, bone, and leatherwork. There will be a selection of objects from the excavations at Vindolanda to handle and draw over the duration of the course. An archaeological drawing starter pack to use and keep will be provided.... Read More »
Roman Rural Settlement Project - Feedback Needed and Meeting on 14th September 2016
Members of the project team and others have produced a series of short papers concerning various aspects of methodological approaches which cover a variety of topics, including one on finds, which can now be viewed and downloaded at http://www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk/methodology-study/. We are keen to get responses to the papers, and have provided an opportunity for written comments on the papers to be submitted by email.... Read More »
Fully funded AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award PhD studentship between the University of Kent and English Heritage
The key research question is as follows: How does the artefact assemblage of small finds from Roman Richborough contribute to our understanding of the military site, its occupants, and the wider nature of the Roman military in the NW provinces of the empire? There is scope to develop the project according to the student’s particular interests for instance by focusing on particular methodological approaches or categories of material.... Read More »
Finds from Roman York, Brigantia and Beyond - Abstracts Published
We have now received the abstracts for our forthcoming conference. You can read them all here.... Read More »
New Grants Available From Roman Finds Group
A series of small grants are available from the Roman Finds Group to all fully paid-up members.... Read More »
Smile please! RFG to go on film
The RFG is in the process of embarking on an exciting new project designed to act as an educational aid.... Read More »
MOLA are advertising for three Finds Trainee posts - Closing Date 30th September 2015
Museum of London Archaeology are advertising for three Finds Trainee posts. Closing Date 30th September 2015.... Read More »
Full Details and Booking Form Available for 'Celts' Conference Autumn 2015
A major Later Prehistoric Finds Group & Roman Finds Group conference in collaboration with the British Museum and including entry to the temporary exhibition. Full details and booking forms are now online.... Read More »
Grant to support the study of PAS finds from Cheshire
Chester Archaeological Society wishes to encourage the study and publication of objects (or groups/types of object) reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme from Cheshire and adjoining areas, to ensure that their potential contribution to the understanding of the archaeology and history of the county is realised.... Read More »
Constitution for Roman Finds Group
RFG members have recently received a letter setting out options for additional future activities together with a copy of our draft constitution; comments on both are welcome.... Read More »
A Review of Our October 2014 Meeting at Manchester Museum
Click here to read a review of this meeting, written by Bryan Sitch... Read More »
Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies
The Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies was the foremost medium for publishing Roman military equipment. Founding editor (and member and friend of RFG) Mike Bishop’s crowdfunding campaign to revive JRMES (and the newsletter Arma) has exceeded his target; all funds will contribute to future publications.... Read More »
RFG Membership of Council for British Archaeology
The RFG is proud to be an organisational member of the Council for British Archaeology.... Read More »
Cheshire Archaeology Public Consultation
The future delivery of archaeology services in Cheshire is currently under review and is open to public consultation, which is being carried out by an on-line-only questionnaire.... Read More »
Finds from the Roman North and Beyond
Joint Roman Finds Group and Centre for Interdisciplinary Artefact Studies Meeting Spring 2015 Roman Finds Group with the CIAS, Newcastle University Bookings are now open for the Spring 2015 Meeting... Read More »
Call For Papers for #TRAC2015
Following the success of last year’s Roman Finds Group session at TRAC, we are very pleased to sponsor a session this year on ‘Interdisciplinary Approaches to Roman Artefacts’.... Read More »
BARGAIN ROMAN MONOGRAPHS
The following Roman-period Yorkshire Archaeological Reports are now available at greatly reduced prices:... Read More »
Roman Society Working Party Questionnaire
The Roman Society is trying to gather data on how it can better develop links with museums, local societies and schools. Please contribute your views via our online survey. Thanks!... Read More »
Date For Your Diary: Manchester Meeting on 8th October 2014
A date for your diaries. We are going ahead with arrangements for an exciting meeting in Manchester in the autumn and the date is now confirmed as Wednesday 8th October, (not as given in the last Lucerna).... Read More »
PhD Studentship in Archaeology | University of Reading
Project title: Tools in Roman London: industry, household practice and ritual deposition across the ancient city.... Read More »
PhD Studentship in Archaeology | University of Reading
Project title: Ringing the changes: the social significance of finger-rings in Roman Britain... Read More »
Vindolanda - An Introduction to Archaeological Illustration - ; 22nd - 23rd February 2014
This weekend workshop covers aspects and techniques of archaeological illustration under the personal tuition of Mark Hoyle BA(hon);P.G.C.E.;MAAIS; MIfA... Read More »
Unusually large find of seals and amulets in ancient sanctuary in Turkey
Classical scholars from the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” made an unusually large find of seals in an ancient sanctuary in Turkey.... Read More »
Online Course: Pompeii and the Cities of the Roman World
Sera Baker, who attended the RFG Meeting at the British Museum this year has sent details of a new course being run online by the University of Oxford.... Read More »
Conference Dates
Three dates for your diary. 27es Rencontres de l’AFAV # 9-10 novembre 2012 # Musée d'Aquitaine # Bordeaux. L’Antiquité tardive dans l’Est de la Gaule 3 - 8-10 novembre 2012. AFPMA-Association Française pour la Peinture Murale Antique : XXVIe séminaire.... Read More »
Roman Altars
An altar has been discovered during recent excavations at Maryport, the first for 142 years. See the news story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19224154... Read More »
Catch our committee member Sally Worrell on ITV Secret Treasures this week!
Catch our committee member Sally Worrell on ITV Secret Treasures this week! The programme, timed to coincide with this week's Festival of British Archaeology, features the top 50 finds made by members of the British public in the last 20 years, and runs on ITV1 for several evenings, culminating in an hour-long special on Sunday 22 July.... Read More »
Society of Museum Archaeologists training courses
A list of upcoming courses from the Society of Museum Archeologists.... Read More »
Training opportunity
During this week-long course you will learn the basics of processing finds from archaeological excavations. Guided by nearly a dozen experienced practitioners and specialists, you will go through all the various stages from handling and packaging, to sorting and cataloguing.... Read More »
Portable Antiquities Website
The Portable Antiquities Scheme website provides information about Scheme, eg contact details for the finds liaison officers and reports on recent finds.... Read More »
The British Museum Study Centre
Another development which is worth saying something about is the Study Centre. This is located a short distance away from the main Museum site on New Oxford Street. The current projected date for completion is 2004... Read More »
All change at the British Museum (2001)
On December 6th 2000 the Queen opened the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court after nearly three years of building work. The courtyard is vast, which is the first impression you get on entering, especially when you raise your eyes to Foster's domed glass roof.... Read More »
Training opportunity (July 2010)
IfA Workplace Learning Bursaries. Museum of London Archaeology will be hosting two IfA-funded opportunities for training from late summer / early autumn.... Read More »
Your group needs you! (January 2011)
The RFG has been in crisis - you may have noticed the absence of meetings and a winter newsletter in 2010. Since the appeal in Lucerna 39 (September 2010), we have recruited several new committee members - thank you!... Read More »
Could you contribute to Diggers' Forum?
Over at the Diggers' Forum we're relaunching our newsletter and we are planning on including factsheets and short informative pieces on subjects that are of interest to our membership.... Read More »
Survey of Archaeological Specialists 2010 - 11
Landward Research have been commissioned by the Higher Education Academy's History, Classics and Archaeology Subject Centre and English Heritage to conduct a survey of archaeological specialists.... Read More »
Archaeological Evidence for Glassworking - Guidelines for Best Practice
This latest edition in the English Heritage Guidelines series focuses on the identification, investigation and interpretation of glassworking evidence at sites in England from the Bronze Age until the 20th century.... Read More »
Please help us to make the Roman Finds Group even better!
Since 1988, the RFG has been a useful forum for everyone with an interest in Roman finds.... Read More »