There Was a Roman in Your Garden

About this book

Historian Bettany Hughes asks readers to imagine that they have found an ancient treasure chest buried in their garden. Hidden inside are 20 fascinating objects dating back to Roman times. 

From a leather shoe to a wooden nit comb, crocodile skin armour to hand-drawn maps, or exquisite jewellery to tags worn by slaves, each artefact tells a story about how people may have lived during this period.   

Black-and-white illustrations throughout help readers to visualise the objects and settings, and also serve to break up the text, making it more manageable to digest.

A 'Hall of Fame' at the end of the book provides information about key Roman figures, including characters from Roman mythology, brave fighters from the battlefield, and formidable empresses and emperors who ruled the land.   

The author provides plenty of clear explanations about aspects of Roman culture and also discusses the importance of dealing with archaeological finds appropriately. 

This engaging non-fiction book about Roman history draws readers into the very heart of the action. It is sure to inspire young people to become history detectives, piecing together the jigsaw pieces of the past to better understand how civilisations evolved.