Wroxeter: Ashes under Uricon: A Cultural and Social History of the Roman City

Wroxeter: Ashes Under Uricon provides insight into how people have viewed and interacted with the abandoned Roman city of Wroxeter over time, through various artistic outputs and local perspectives. The book explores the impact of archaeological discoveries, state intervention, and democratization of access on the site's cultural understanding and future development.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 22 September 2022
Publisher: Archaeopress

Wroxeter: Ashes Under Uricon delves into the diverse perspectives held by people throughout history regarding the abandoned Roman city of Wroxeter in Shropshire. It responds to three primary artistic expressions related to the site: poetry, images, and texts. The poets featured in the book include Wilfred Owen, A.E. Housman, and Mary Webb. These writers encompass a wide range of interests related to the site, including Darwin, Dickens, Rosemary Sutcliff, and John Buchan. While the artists may be less familiar, they include notable contributions from Thomas Girtin with his watercolors, archaeological reconstructions by Alan Sorrell and Amedée Forrestier, and paintings by Wroxeter's resident artist, Thomas Prytherch. Photographs are represented by the work of Francis Bedford and other individuals closely associated with aerial archaeology, such as J.K. St Joseph and Arnold Baker.

While the renowned names hold their significance, the book also delves into the thoughts and perceptions of locals and visitors towards the site over time. It explores how they perceived the site and how they have reacted to it. Specifically, it examines how the public and locals responded to the archaeological discoveries made on the site and how they interpreted the narratives crafted by the archaeologists involved in the excavation process. It argues that archaeologists, like writers, poets, and artists, possess the ability to tell stories, albeit with a more filtered or controlled approach. Through these narratives, they can inspire and engage others.

A further aspect of the book explores the growing emphasis over the past century on democratizing access to and understanding of the site, accompanied by increasing state intervention in its management. This has had a profound impact on the demographics of visitors and the understanding of the site's cultural significance. A brief concluding section offers a vision of how the site may evolve in the near future, fostering the cultural revival of the area.

Dimension: 245 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803272498