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Values and material culture in Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman Britain stories

Lookup NU author(s): Dr David WalshORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

This article discusses how the acclaimed twentieth-century author Rosemary Sutcliff drew upon the archaeological record to advance the didactic aspects of her narratives. Sutcliff was aware that she had a platform to instil certain values in her young readership, and these values were repeatedly exhibited by her protagonists, particularly bravery and fortitude in the face of adversity. In many cases, certain objects are passed down through the generations as a symbol of these values. Usually, these items were drawn either directly from the archaeological record or display close parallels with real-world objects. Subsequently, for the readers of Sutcliff's narratives, the real-world version of the artefact, or a similar item, become encoded with these values and serve to inspire them to emulate her heroes.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Walsh D

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Britannia

Year: 2025

Volume: 55

Pages: 257 - 273

Online publication date: 20/02/2025

Acceptance date: 08/08/2023

Date deposited: 17/03/2025

ISSN (print): 0068-113X

ISSN (electronic): 1753-5352

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X24000199

DOI: 10.1017/S0068113X24000199

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