Dr Eleri Cousins
Lecturer in Roman HistoryProfile
I work on the role played by ritual and religion (broadly defined!) in the construction of provincial society and identity in the Roman Empire, in particular Britain, Gaul, and Germany. My research focuses on archaeology and material culture, and I am especially interested in the connections between ritual and landscape in the Roman world. My previous work focused on the Roman sanctuary at Bath and my first book, The Sanctuary at Bath in the Roman Empire, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. My current research explores the dynamics of religion and society on Hadrian's Wall and the Romano-British frontier, with a particular emphasis on the site of Roman and Medieval Bewcastle in northern Cumbria. I also have active research interests in Roman epigraphy, Roman provincial art, and in 18th and 19th century antiquarian culture in Britain.
Current Teaching
For 2023/24, my modules are HIST211: The Roman Empire: Society and Culture in the Mediterranean and Beyond and HIST314: 'A World full of Gods': Lived Religion in the Roman Empire. I also contribute to HIST100: From Ancient to Modern: History and Historians, supervise dissertation topics on Roman history and archaeology, and serve as the History Department's Director of Postgraduate Research.
Career Details
I did my undergraduate work at Stanford, with a double-major in Archaeology and Classics, and then moved to the UK to do an MPhil and PhD in the Faculty of Classics at Cambridge. From 2016-2019 I was a temporary lecturer in Ancient History and Archaeology at St Andrews, before coming to Lancaster in 2019.
PhD Supervision Interests
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in working on the history or archaeology of the Roman Empire, and in particular on any aspect of Roman religion, Roman Britain, Hadrian's Wall, or the history and archaeology of the western Roman provinces.
IAA - AHRC Impact Acceleration Account
01/04/2022 → 31/03/2026
Research