Colchester Castle is thrilled to have won the Engagement and Collaboration Award at the Society for Museum Archaeology (SMA) Awards 2021, for its current exhibition Decoding The Roman Dead.
The stunning exhibition showcases the research that Colchester Museums conducted with archaeologists and specialists from the University of Reading to decode the hidden stories of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants and unlock clues about Colchester’s Roman past. From lifelong injuries, their final illnesses and even where they came from, the exhibition explains more about the lives of the people of Roman Colchester than ever before.
Visitors over the festive and New Year period can still catch this incredible exhibition before it closes on the 6 January 2022. Featuring over 200 spectacular objects associated with the burial of Colchester’s Roman Dead, including more than 40 loans from the Colchester Archaeological Trust – some of which have never been publicly displayed before – it is one not to miss.
Councillor Darius Laws, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Business and Heritage for Colchester Borough Council said: “We are absolutely thrilled this ground-breaking exhibition has been recognised. I’d urge anyone interested in local and Roman history to visit Decoding The Roman Dead before it closes. Join Colchester Museums on an incredible journey and uncover the stories of Colchester’s earliest inhabitants. You’ll be surprised at what you find out. But hurry, as it must close on the 6 January!”
Professor Hella Eckardt, Head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading, added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Colchester Museums on their amazing collection. The research demonstrates the value of applying new techniques to antiquarian collections and has really enriched our understanding of early Roman Britain.”
For anyone wishing to discover more about the research and its findings, registration is now open again for our online learning course in collaboration with University of Reading and hosted on FutureLearn.
Sign up to Dead Interesting: Uncovering Roman Britain in Old Museum Collections here.
Pictured above: Curator Glynn Davis holding the SMA Awards certificate.
Page last reviewed: 21 December 2021