Regarding the negative comments about this blog on Facebook:

Let’s be clear, Roman Britain & Roman York, were diverse places with people from all over the empire mixing together. ‘Romans’ were not all white, male soldiers.

Anyone who suggests otherwise is factually incorrect. https://twitter.com/YorkshireMuseum/status/1319274811571326979

The interpretation of ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ – as is detailed in our blog – is underpinned by brilliant, inter-disciplinary research by the University of Reading published in 2010. The ancestry assessment made suggests a mixture of ‘black’ and ‘white’ ancestral traits, and (2/6)

the isotope signature indicates that she may have come from somewhere slightly warmer than the UK. Taken together with the evidence of an unusual burial rite & grave goods, the evidence points to the fact she was a high-status young woman who was of North African descent. (3/6)

This research did not just consider her burial, but a variety from across Roman York, giving us a truly diverse picture of the city at this time.

We know that we can, and need to, do more when it comes to decolonising our collections. (4/6)

The criticisms and comments associated with this blog highlight the importance and urgency of that work.

The Ivory Bangle Lady will remain front and centre of our interpretation of Roman York, as we seek to give a true account of the history of our city and region. (5/6)

We hope people will take the time to read the blog in full, with links to further suggested reading below.

https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/the-forum/2017/07/28/how-diverse-was-roman-britain/

https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/surprising-diversity-roman-london-docklands

https://www.history.co.uk/article/the-history-of-black-britain-roman-africans

- From the Senior Curator on behalf of the Yorkshire Museum

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