Staff Profile

INTRODUCTION

I am a Professor of Frontier Archaeology in the School of History, Classics & Archaeology, having joined as a Lecturer in 2017.

I am the Head of Archaeology (from Oct 2024).

Between 2017-2022, I was Project Manager to the Hadrian's Wall Community Archaeology Project (WallCAP). Formerly, I was the Research Associate leading on the Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative (FREDHI) at Newcastle. I have also worked as the Great North Museum Academic Liaison Officer at Newcastle, and I worked for 8 years as the Finds Liaison Officer, North East, for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, based in the late Museum of Antiquities and its successor, the Great North Museum from 2006-2014.

I have an enduring interests in the archaeology and history of Roman armies & frontiers and the Early Middle Ages. I also have a strong interest in landscapes, small finds and material culture.

EDUCATION

• PhD Archaeology - University of York
• MA Medieval Archaeology - University of York
• BA Anthropology - State University of New York at Geneseo

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Hadrian's Wall & Roman frontiers
• Early Medieval Britain
• comparative frontiers
• small finds and coins

MEMBERSHIPS and PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Society of Antiquaries (London)
• Corresponding Member, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (German Archaeological Institute)
• Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
• Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
• Roman Finds Group

SCHOOL ROLES

• Undergraduate Degree Programme Director (DPD), Archaeology (2023-present)
• Lead Mentor (2020-2024)
• Admissions Tutor, Archaeology (2017-2020)

ADDITIONAL ROLES

• Hadrian's Wall representative, Bratislava Group
• Keeper of Coins, Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
• Member, Hadrian's Wall Partnership Board
• Coordinator, Roman Northern Frontiers Seminar
• Trustee, Corbridge Excavation Fund
• Organising Committee, Hadrian's Wall Pilgrimage 2029
• Organising Committee, Hadrian's Wall Pilgrimage 2019

Google scholar: Click here.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research interests fall within four broad themes:

• frontier and border studies
• artefacts and material culture
• the collapse of complex societies
• public archaeology and perceptions of the past

In practice, this has led to my specialization of the transition of Roman frontiers in late antiquity, with a particular focus on Hadrian's Wall. My research makes use of landscape analysis and archaeological remains of built structures and small finds to provide a social interpretation of the material record.

I also have interest in small finds, particularly those of the Roman, Early Medieval, and Medieval periods.

While I am interested very broadly in frontier societies, my geographic focus has been Britain, particularly focusing on the provincial Roman and Early Medieval (incl. Anglo-Saxon) archaeology.

Recent research has seen me exploring notions of sexuality in the Roman frontier (notably phallic imagery), as well as examining the impact and reimaginings of Hadrian's Wall in popular and contemporary culture, which was explored in the Reading the Wall conference in June 2016 and through continuing work. I have also begun more actively researching other frontier and border systems to build on comparative analysis of frontiers and borders, for example with the Great Wall of China, the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) of Korea, and the colonial 'backcountry' of the British and French empires where the Haudenosaunee (more popularly known as the Iroquois peoples) lived.

As a result of my professional background and experience (for example, with the PAS), I also have an enduring interest in public archaeology, and much of my work with WallCAP (below) is expanding on this experience with new research.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

WallCAP - Hadrian's Wall Community Archaeology Project

A National Lottery Heritage Fund project researching and addressing sites on the Heritage At Risk register associated with the Wall, and researching the evidence for dispersal and reuse of the stone building fabric from Hadrian's Wall and its installations.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative

I was the lead researcher for the Frontiers of the Roman Empire Digital Humanities Initiative (FREDHI), which developed cutting-edge digital research tools using Hadrian's Wall and other Roman frontiers as the focus of this research.

NU Digital Heritage

This project emerged out of FREDHI, in building a digital archive of the world-class material culture assemblages from the Hadrians Wall World Heritage Site. We offer 3D scans of inscribed and scultped stones and artefacts, which can be used for teaching and research.

Burial in Early Bernicia

Recent discoveries of early Anglo-Saxon artefacts reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme have highlighted new sites of archaeological interest. I am leading on this research, including site-based evaluations in collaboration with Prof Sam Turner (Newcastle) and Dr Sarah Semple (Durham).

The End of Empire: The northern frontier in the fourth-fifth centuries AD

The End of Empire project was funded by the AHRC, resulting in the publication of my 2012 book with Routledge, Hadrian's Wall and the End of Empire.

2024-2025 Academic Year

• ARA2091: Archaeologies of the Roman Empire
• ARA2101: Artefacts
• ARA3021: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8030: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8291: Graduate Seminar in Historical Archaeology
• ARA8394: Past Bodies

2023-2024 Academic Year

• ARA1030: Archaeology of Britain from the Romans to the 20th Century
• ARA2020: Fieldwork and Post-excavation
• ARA2091: Archaeologies of the Roman Empire
• ARA2101: Artefacts (module leader)
• ARA3000/3001/3002/3003: Dissertations in Archaeology (module leader)
• ARA8128: The Sharp Edge of Empire? Armies and Frontiers of Imperial Rome (module leader)
• ARA8190: Research Themes, Theories, and Skills in Archaeology

2022-2023 Academic Year

• Research Leave

2021-2022 Academic Year

• ARA1030: Archaeology of Britain from the Romans to the 20th Century
• ARA3021: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8030: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8128: Armies and Frontiers of the Roman Empire (module leader)
• ARA8150: Graduate Seminar in Roman Archaeology

Prior to 2021, I have contributed to a number of modules, including:

• SHS1000: Stage 1 Archaeology
• ARA1030: Archaeology of Britain from the Romans to the 20th Century
• ARA2012: Fieldwork and Archaeological Practice
• CAH2013: Sex, Bodies, and Identity in Antiquity
• ARA2091: Archaeologies of the Roman Empire
• ARA2101: Artefacts
• SHS3000: Stage 3 Archaeology
• ARA3013: Early Medieval Northern Europe
• ARA3021: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8030: Frontier Communities of Roman Britain (module leader)
• ARA8113: Early Medieval Northern Europe
• ARA8128: Armies and Frontiers of the Roman Empire (module leader)
• ARA8150: Graduate Seminar in Roman Archaeology

I was also an Educator on the Hadrian's Wall MOOC (massive on-line open course), developing content and tutoring during the first three runs.

• Articles

  • Collins R, Sands R. Touch wood: luck, protection, power or pleasure? A wooden phallus from Vindolanda Roman fort. Antiquity 2023, 97(392), 419-435.
  • Collins R, Turner S. The Eslington Sword and the Kingdom of Northumbria. Medieval Archaeology 2018, 62(1), 28-52.
  • Dolfini A, Collins R. Modelling physical and digital replication: Bridging the gap between experimentation and experience. Open Archaeology 2018, 4, 36-49.
  • Collins R. Pennanular brooches from the northern granary at Birdoswald: A reappraisal. Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society 2014, 14, 286-291.
  • Collins R. Metal-detecting and geophysical survey at Great Whittington, Northumberland. Archaeologia Aeliana 2013, 42(Ser. 5), 235-267.
  • Collins R. Recent Discoveries of Early Anglian Material Culture in the North East. Medieval Archaeology 2010, 54, 386-390.
  • Collins R. The Latest Roman Coin from Hadrian's Wall: A small 5th Century Purse Group. Britannia 2008, 39, 256-261.

• Authored Books

  • Collins R, Harrison J. Excavations along Hadrian’s Wall 2019-2021: Structures, Their Uses, and Afterlives. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2024.
  • Collins R, Kille I, O'Donnell K. Fabric of the Frontier: Prospection, Use and Re-Use of Stone from Hadrian's Wall. Oxford: Oxbow, 2023.
  • Collins R, Birley B, Croom A, Laskey J, McIntosh F, Padley T, Parkin A, Price E. Living on the Edge of Empire: The objects and people of Rome’s Northern Frontier. Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2020.
  • Collins Rob, Symonds Matthew. Hadrian's Wall 2009-2019: A Summary of Excavation and Research prepared for the Fourteenth Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall, 20-28 July 2019. Kendal: Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society and Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2019.
  • Collins R. Hadrian's Wall and the End of Empire: The Roman Frontier in the 4th and 5th Centuries. New York: Routledge, 2012.

• Book Chapters

  • Collins R, Fairclough G, Turner S. Building a community of practice in a Roman heritage landscape. In: Rodenberg J; Wagenaar P; Burgers GJ, ed. Calling on the Community : Understanding participation in the heritage sector: an interactive governance perspective. Oxford: Berghahn, 2023, pp.71-92.
  • Collins R. The Culture of Command in the 4^th and 5^th centuries in Northern Britannia. In: Hodgson N; Griffiths B, ed. Roman Frontier Archaeology – in Britain and beyond. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2022, pp.243-255.
  • Collins R. From MOOC to WallCAP: Engaging non-academic audiences with Hadrian’s Wall. In: Alberti, M; Mountain, K, ed. Hadrian's Wall: Exploring Its Past to Protect Its Future. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2022, pp.82-91.
  • Collins R, Shaw K. Public engagement with World Heritage: An assessment from Hadrian’s Wall. In: N. Mills, ed. Visitor Experiences and Audiences for the Roman Frontiers: Developing Good Practice in Presenting World Heritage. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, 2021, pp.177-186. In Preparation.
  • Collins R. The Phallus and the Frontier: The Form and Function of Phallic Imagery Along Hadrian’s Wall. In: Ivleva, T; Collins, R, ed. Un-Roman Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Lovemaking in the Roman Provinces and Frontiers. New York: Routledge, 2020, pp.274-309.
  • Collins R. Hadrian's Wall. In: Smith C, ed. Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Cham: Springer, 2020.
  • Collins R. Landscapes of the Limitanei at the Northern Edge of Empire. In: N. Christie and P. Diarte-Blasco, ed. Interpreting Transformations of Landscapes and People in Late Antiquity. Oxford, UK: Oxbow, 2018, pp.149-161.
  • Collins R. The frontier foundations of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria. In: S. Semple, C. Orsini and S. Mui, ed. Life on the Edge: Social, Political and Religious Frontiers in Early Medieval Europe. Hanover: Hanover Museum, 2017, pp.45-54.
  • Collins R. Power at the Periphery: Military Authority in Transition in Late Roman Britain. In: Varga R; Rusu-Bolindet V, ed. Official Power and Local Elites in the Roman Provinces. London: Routledge, 2017, pp.127-144.
  • Collins R. Decline, collapse, or transformation? The case for the northern frontier of Britannia. In: Nico Roymans, Stijn Heeren and Wim De Clercq, ed. Social Dynamics in the Northwest Frontiers of the Late Roman Empire: Beyond Decline or Transformation. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam Press, 2017, pp.203-220.
  • Collins R. The nature and understanding of frontiers in the later Roman Empire. In: D. Breeze, B. Jones & I. Oltean, ed. Understanding Roman Frontiers. Edinburgh, UK: Birlinn Ltd, 2015, pp.101-110.
  • Collins R. Economic reduction or military reorganization? Demolition and conversion of granaries in the northern frontier of Britannia in the later 4th century. In: R. Collins, M. Symonds, M. Weber, ed. Roman Military Architecture on the Frontiers: Armies and their Architecture in Late Antiquity. Oxford, UK: Oxbow, 2015, pp.18-31.
  • Collins R. Lost and Found: Casual loss and (re)discovery of Roman objects from the northern frontier. In: Collins, R; McIntosh, F, ed. Life in the Limes. Oxford: Oxbow, 2014, pp.166-171.
  • Collins R, Breeze D. Limitanei and Comitatenses: Military Failure at the End of Roman Britain?. In: R. Collins, K. Fitzpatrick-Matthews, S. Moorhead, D. Petts, F.K. Haarer, ed. AD 410: The History and Archaeology of Late and Post-Roman Britain. Oxford: Oxbow, 2014, pp.61-72.
  • Collins R. Soldiers to Warriors: Renegotiating the Roman Frontier in the Fifth Century. In: Hunter, F; Painter, K, ed. Late Roman Silver: The Traprain Treasure in Context. Edinburgh, UK: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 2013, pp.29-43.
  • Collins R. Pleading the Fifth (Century): Patterns of Coin Use at the End of Empire. In: R. Collins and M. Symonds, ed. Breaking Down Boundaries: Hadrian's Wall in the 21st Century. Portsmouth, Rhode Island: Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2013, pp.123-137.
  • Collins R. Social Spaces at the End of Empire: The Limitanei of Hadrian's Wall. In: Totten, D; Lafrenze Samuels, K, ed. Making Roman Places, Past and Present. Portsmouth, Rhode Island: Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2012, pp.65-80.
  • Collins R. Military Communities and the Transformation of the Frontier from the 4th-6th Centuries. In: Petts, D; Turner, S, ed. Early Medieval Northumbria: Kingdoms and Communities, 450-1100. Turnhout: Brepols, 2011, pp.15-34.
  • Collins R. Brooch use in the 4th- to 5th-century frontier. In: Collins,R; Allason-Jones,L, ed. Finds from the frontier: material culture in the 4th-5th centuries. York: Council for British Archaeology, 2010, pp.64-77.
  • Collins R. Hadrian's Wall and the Collapse of Roman Frontiers. In: A. Morillo, N. Hanel, and E. Martin Hernandez, ed. Limes XX: Estudios Sobre la Frontera Romana (Leon). Madrid: Anejos de Gladius, 2009, pp.181-197.

• Edited Books

  • Ivleva T, Collins R, ed. Un-Roman Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Lovemaking in the Roman Provinces and Frontiers. London: Routledge, 2020.
  • Collins R, Symonds M, Weber M, ed. Roman Military Architecture on the Frontiers: Armies and their Architecture in Late Antiquity. Oxford, UK: Oxbow, 2015.
  • Collins R, McIntosh F, ed. Life in the Limes: Studies of the people and objects of the Roman frontiers. Oxford: Oxbow, 2014.
  • Haarer F, Collins R, Fitzpatrick-Matthews K, Moorhead S, Petts D, Walton P, ed. AD 410: The History and Archaeology of Late and Post-Roman Britain. London, UK: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 2014.
  • Collins R, Symonds M, ed. Breaking down boundaries: Hadrian's wall in the 21st century. Portsmouth, Rhode Island: Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2013.
  • Collins R, Allason-Jones L, ed. Finds from the Frontier: material culture in the 4th-5th centuries. York: Council for British Archaeology, 2010.
  • Collins R, Gerrard J, ed. Debating Late Antiquity in Britain AD300-700. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, 2004.