This book investigates how the development of Roman archaeology in Britain was fundamentally shaped by the ideologies and experiences of the British Empire. Richard Hingley, a professor of archaeology, examines the historical parallels drawn by nineteenth and early twentieth-century scholars between the Roman occupation of Britain and the contemporary British administration of its own colonies. He argues that these imperial perspectives influenced the interpretation of archaeological sites, the selection of research priorities, and the construction of a national identity that linked the British elite to their Roman predecessors.

Reader & Expert Consensus: Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the historiography of archaeology and the study of imperial influence on academic disciplines. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the intersection between colonial power and historical interpretation.