Turf structures in the Roman North and beyond

Turf is not a material usually discussed in studies on Roman architecture. However, it was widely used as a building material by the Roman army across the northern provinces and especially in Britain. It was a versatile material used for the construction of marching camps (as Vegetius tells us) but also for more durable and long-lasting structures, notably the turf and earth portions of Hadrian’s Wall, in northern England, and the later Antonine Wall, in central Scotland. In these regions, however, turf also seems to have had a long history in domestic architecture, as it does across much of northern Europe. Used correctly, turf is a cheap, versatile and fairly durable material, especially in northern climates and regions lacking wood resources. In this paper we will examine the ways in which turf can be used in building, how to identify it archaeologically, and then consider what new methodologies can add to our understanding of this material.