Cite this as: Givens, W. 2024 'All this in their ignorance they called civilisation': Analysing the relationship between nationalism and the display of Roman archaeology in Britain's national museums, Internet Archaeology 67. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.67.9
This article evaluates how nationalist narratives affect the display of Roman artefacts in national museums. The unique nature of national museums as 'cultural constitutions' and arbiters of the 'Authorised Heritage Discourse' is discussed. This article builds upon previous work by demonstrating how nationalist influence affects the display of Roman artefacts, specifically through the use of two case studies: the British Museum in London and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Museum displays are assessed for indications of nationalist influence through consideration of the use of space and collection composition as well as textual analysis of gallery signage and artefact descriptions. The two museums' divergent approaches to national narrative are then compared.
Corresponding author: William Givens
wgivens3@gmail.com
Independent researcher
Figure 1: The neoclassical exterior of the British Museum with pediment sculpture 'The Progress of Civilization'. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 2: The new face of the British Museum – the Great Court. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 3: Map of the British Museum upper level (British Museum 2020), legend adjusted by author.
Figure 4: Reconstruction of Hertfordshire burial with Italian amphorae in British Museum (Room 50). Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 5: Map of the 'Roman Empire at its greatest extent' from the Roman Britain gallery, British Museum. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 6: Roman Legionary gear displayed against a silhouette in the Roman Britain Gallery, British Museum. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 7: The exterior of the new National Museum of Scotland building, faced with Scottish Clashach stone, designed as an allusion to medieval fortifications. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 8: The narrow passage (left), and the 'sepulchral chamber' into which it leads (right), together create a powerful effect, National Museum of Scotland. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 9: Map of the lower level of the NMS (National Museums Scotland 2021b), shading and legend added by author.
Figure 10: Stone relief from a Roman dedication in the National Museum of Scotland. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 11: Roman artefacts on display in context of their use by indigenous peoples. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 12: The chains of Roman slaves displayed in the 'Nero' temporary exhibition, British Museum. Image credit: W. Givens
Figure 13: Marking the spot where the two NMS buildings are joined is a reaffirmation of the museum's mission. Image credit: W. Givens
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