The Roman fort at Newstead, which may have been founded in AD 80 by Agricola himself, was a major forward base of the Roman army for nearly a hundred years. As Dr. John Reid will explain, our understanding of the life and times of the fort and how its inhabitants interacted with local peoples has evolved considerably over the last century.

The redevelopment of the Trimontium Museum in Melrose has given us the opportunity to reinvestigate and reframe the story first told by James Curle following his landmark excavations 1905-10. New display and interpretation techniques coupled with modern archaeological methods bring to life a turbulent period that saw the clash of two very different cultures.