Some of the Roman Empire’s most stunning objects are being brought together under one roof as Carlisle’s Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery celebrates the 1,900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall.
They include the magnificent Newstead face mask – a bronze parade mask from the late 1st century AD which was uncovered on the site of the largest Roman fort north of Hadrian’s Wall in the Scottish borders. The mask is on loan from National Museums Scotland.
“The Newstead mask is spell-binding to look at,” said Jill Goodfellow, exhibitions manager at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.
“It would have been attached to the parade helmet of a Roman cavalry trooper and was worn for dramatic effect in exercises rather than on the battlefield as it would restrict the wearer’s vision too much in real combat.”
Visitors will also be able to see one of the earliest souvenirs from Hadrian’s Wall – the Ilam Pan – which is thought to have been commissioned by a soldier to mark his military service on the wall in the mid-second century AD. The llam Pan is jointly owned by Tullie House, the Potteries Museum and the British Museum – this exhibition will be the first time it has been on display in Tullie House in over five years.
These items are in the To the Edges of Empire exhibition – one of three exhibitions at Tullie House being launched as part of HW1900 – the festival celebrating 1,900 years since construction on Hadrian’s Wall began.
Andrew Mackay, director of Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, said: “The chance to see these objects and others under one roof is something really special.
“They explore the nature of empire and showcase the importance of Britain and other regions, as frontiers of the Roman Empire during the reign of Hadrian and subsequent emperors.”
Tullie’s Uncovering Roman Carlisle exhibition includes the newly discovered finds from last summer’s community excavations of the Roman bathhouse in Stanwix, Carlisle, originally discovered in 2017.
They include a large collection of hypocaust tiles, part of the bath’s underfloor heating systems, which were made locally. Many of them have imprints made accidentally by animals or humans during manufacturing. The exciting discoveries made during the 2021 dig are explored through the stories of the local people who found them.
The project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and has been delivered in partnership with Tullie House, Carlisle City Council, Wardell Armstrong and Carlisle Cricket Club.
The Our Hadrian’s Wall exhibition will use photos from members of the public to show how the wall has been part of everyday lives and has become entwined in cherished family memories. Stretching 73 miles from coast to coast, Hadrian’s Wall was built to guard the wild north west frontier of the Roman Empire. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The museum is also hosting a series of talks by internationally respected experts exploring topical perspectives on Hadrian’s Wall, World Heritage Status, mobility and identity with the Roman Empire and the Roman occupation of frontier Provinces. They take place on March 19, May 7 and May 28.
