Categories below include Museum Collections Online, Information (including re-enactment groups), Shopping, Facebook Groups, and Books. I’ve deliberately not listed some vendors that are selling inferior products. Did I miss something good? Please let me know!
Museum Collections Online
The British Museum (London) and the Walkthrough of the British Museum
Capitoline Museums (Rome)
The German Archaeological Institute (DAI) Rome photo archive
J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles) and its Publications
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and its Publications
Musée du Louvre (Paris)
Museum of Fine Art (Boston)
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (Naples) Use the “thematic paths” button on the right or the Digital Catalogue
National Archaeological Museum (Athens)
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology (Philadelphia)
The Walters Art Museum (Baltimore)
Information
Ammaia – digital view of a Roman city in Lusitania
Anna’s Rome blog
Archeological Sewing info on seams and stitches
Casemate academics Publishers of scholarly works
Castra Ferrata Living history group in the Pacific NorthWest
Colours of the Romans website with dyeing info
Comitatus Late Roman re-enacting group in Britain
Documentation and Competitions
Documentation Basics for SCA Artisans
Florentius – personal blog of Quintus Florentius Agrippa, including shoe making tips
Gephyra – journal for the ancient history and cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean
Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies GRBS is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal
The History of Rome podcast Highly recommended!
Heritage Daily Interactive map of Rome
Jael Ben Ari’s Facebook journal, including hair.
Janet Stephen’s YouTube channel Historical hair including Roman
JURN: Search millions of free academic articles, chapters and theses.
Latin Pronunciation (Classical)
Leatherwork Through the Ages multiple periods including 1st century
Legio II Augusta (Second Augustan Legion) Greater Portland, OR area group
LEGIO SECVNDA In Italy: We met these superbly friendly Republican-era people when they were doing a demo in Ostia. 🙂
Legio VI South Carolina re-enactors and their gladiator school
Legion Six Los Angles area re-enactors
Legio XX Washington, DC re-enactors
Legion XXIV Mid-Atlantic re-enactors
Legio XXX Ontario, Canada re-enactors
Livius.org Articles on ancient history
Londinium An interactive map
A zoomable Map of the Roman Empire with ancient geographic names
Naming: SCA Heraldry site, Epigraphic Database Heidelberg, Classic and Imperial Roman names, Johnston on names
Orbis Model of the Roman world that lets you calculate a journey with multiple variables
Pass the Garum Roman cooking blog
Perseus Collection Greek and Roman writings
My Pinterest collection
Pompeii – Digital map (Google-style)
Portable Antiquities – Online catalog of British finds. Superb source for Romano-Brit!
Project Gutenberg – free downloads of over 50,000 books including Cicero, Plutarch, Apicius, Caesar, Gibbons, etc.
Res Publica Romana – Discussion forums and online Roman Republic
Roma Antiqua – 3D tour of 3rd century Roman sites
Roman Army Talk discussion forum
Roman Military Research Society in the UK
Rome: a Virtual Tour of the Ancient City – free online course
SCA – Society for Creative Anachronism Lots of medieval re-enacting, with a growing Roman population!
Spello’s Villa of Mosaics – interactive digital tour
Trajan’s Column and its construction
Shopping
Custom Artisans
Fjorlief InHaga: email acorncottageartisanry at gmail dot com (Portland, OR) – She’s made me brooches and buttons, among other lovely things!
Master William (Olympia, WA) – he’s made quite a bit for my friend Julia Sempronia
Ariadne’s website or on Facebook (Olympia, WA) – she made me spindle whorls and glass beads
Replica Companies (in the US unless otherwise specified)
Alpha Officium replica coins
Armamentaria Replica Roman military products, pottery, etc. Britain.
Astor Versand Germany-based replica company
AVRIFICINA TREVERICA Germany-based replica company
Bohemond Roman (and other historical times /places) footwear
Claybaby pottery – I’ve bought a pitcher, cups, and a lamp.
Daegrad Tools recreations of archeological cooking implements, etc. Britain.
Fabrica Romana – jewelry (Germany) NOTE: added Aug 5, 2015 – seems to be in progress, many pages don’t work. 4/5/19: Site is down
Glassmakers (UK) not making to order currently – small inventory left
Heart of Oak Crafts replicas of beads “based off originals in museums and archaeological site reports”
HR-Replikate Germany-based replica company
Jeanne C. Wood – pottery
Linen Garb – Coptic tunics for later personas, based on a 5th century Egyptian find
Mercy Neumark pottery – I have her plates and cups, and a lovely pitcher (Mercy is currently in geographic transition without a studio)
Oro Degli Eruschi Italian replicas of Etruscan gold jewelry
Par Fabrica – Caligae (boots) and soleae (sandals) CLOSED
Potted History – votives, lamps, other pottery (UK)
Raymond’s Quiet Press “Historic Recreations from Jewelry to Helms”
Reannag Teine Pottery makers. Greek is part of their usual line. They do Roman on request.
Sacred Source mini statues of gods and goddesses
Sally Pointer Britain-based replica company
SHOES: Armamentaria * Bohemond (reportedly good but slow)* Fabrica Cacti * Saddlersden * Sarah Juniper
Soul of the Warrior wide variety of replica items
Tillerman Beads Britain
Twilight Forge Fibulas and Pennanulars
Other shopping resources
Fabrics-store.com for linen (I use sheer for women’s tunicas that will be layered, lightweight for those worn alone, and medium or heavy for men, fighting, or working)
For good lightweight wool sources, see the end of this post on the stola.
Andromeda of Sparta also has a comprehensive article on sourcing period fabric.
Facebook Groups
Barony of Dragon’s Mist (SCA)
Barony of Three Mountains (SCA)
Clash of Iron Annual re-enacting event, Romans vs Celts, in Lafe, Arkansas
De Gustibus – Taberna Romana – Page, not a group, on Roman food
Legio II Augusta (Second Augustan Legion) Vancouver, WA group
Vicus and Village: Roman era Civilians
Books
Note: I have an extensive personal library covering a variety of fields. I have the Roman / Etruscan ones listed here. If you are curious about something in particular, please ask!
Adkins, Lesley, and Adkins, Roy A. Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Beard, Mary – ANYTHING she’s written or produced.
Croom, Alexandra. Roman Clothing and Fashion. Stroud, UK: Amberly Publishing, 2000. Contains some errors but remains the gold standard along with Sebesta, below
Goldsworthy, Adrian – author of a number of excellent books
Men at Arms series by Osprey (little books, each focused on a different period or topic in military history)
Roberts, Paul. Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. London, Oxford University Press, 2013.
Simkins, Michael. Warriors of Rome. Blandford Press, 1989.
Sebesta, Judith L. The World of Roman Costume. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001.
Wild, John P. Textiles in Archeology. Buckinghamshire, UK: Shire Publications, 2003.
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Hi! You may remember me from one of the clothing threads in the Vicus and Village: Roman Era Civilians Facebook group. (I really loved your paper!) But now I’m hoping you can direct me to resources for a later period? I’m considering going to Clash of Iron in 2016 and if so, I’d like to portray a Romano-British woman of the late 2nd century AD. So far, I’ve found some suitable shoes at Armamentaria (they even have the right size for my big feet!) and I think Ellen Swift’s Roman Dress Accessories book can help me with the small stuff, but for the actual clothing, I’m unsure where to start. Any book/website recs pertaining to this period would be greatly appreciated!
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Hi!
Have you looked at Sebesta and/or Croom (details in the books section)? They are probably your best bets. I haven’t read them, but I’d look at “Women in Roman Britain” or “Roman Woman: Everyday Life in Hadrian’s Britain,” both by Lindsay Allason-Jones. Let me know if you find anything good!
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I haven’t read Sebesta or Croom (I probably should have) but I’ve added them to my list! I have “Roman Woman: Everyday Life In Hadrian’s Britain”, which is a great book, it just doesn’t have a lot of emphasis on clothing. I’ll have to get “Women in Roman Britain” as well.
Thanks for the recs, even if they were already on your list! I just thought I’d ask in case you knew of something else or had insights on what was best. (I’m a major procrastinator, so I didn’t want to be running around right up until April, ordering books I might not need.)
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By the way – there is a TON of Romano-British material culture, very well catalogued, thanks to the English obsession with history. I strongly suggest you use the British Museum’s search function to play in their collection. You can even find lots of examples on eBay (this one posted today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roman-Britain-3-small-metal-item-fibula-pin-small-fork-/201485294470?) although I don’t recommend buying them as sales encourage looting & destruction of ancient sites.
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I think you’ll be pleased with Sebesta and Croom. There’s lots of great info there!
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