Everything you wanted to ask about the ancient Roman Empire | History Hotline

2024-05-30
14m

Curators from the British Museum tackle questions about the Roman Empire

Do you have any burning questions about ancient Rome? Maybe ‘Did Women serve in the Roman Army?’ or ‘Where did Roman Soldiers go to the loo?’ Carolina de Lima, Roman archaeology curator at the British Museum, is on the case in this edition of the History Hotline YouTube series.

The web series was created by the British Museum in collaboration with schools and was pitched at kids aged seven to eleven, but it was designed to be enjoyed curious viewers of any age. The goal of this type of digital engagement is to make the Museum’s core mission and its expert insights more accessible and relevant, and to connect with a diverse global audience. These videos can sometimes extend the life of a physical exhibition by bringing into the virtual space, in the process reaching more people around the world.

The British Museum was a very early adopter of online video, sharing stories of curation and conservation before many of its peers. It was also an early experimenter with now-defunct platforms such as Periscope and continues today to be a prolific creator of high-quality educational online video.

Carolina de Lima, curator in the Department of Roman Archaeology, answers questions about the Roman Empire, such as "Who were the Roman emperors?" or "What did Romans do during their free time?". Made in collaboration with schools, this video is a pedagogical ressource for children aged 7-11. (paraphrased from the YouTube description)

Online Video

From viral memes to video essays, discover highlights from a new BFI National Archive collection...

First came the Cinema Age, then the TV Age, and now the age of Online Video. Digital film created for distribution online is today’s most dynamic, influential screen form. Encompassing much that’s new, from ASMR and Unboxing Videos to Twitch streaming and TikTok twerking, it’s also breathed new life into older film forms, filling our screens with fresh takes on advertising, journalism, satire, public information, campaigning, training and much else that’s been with us since time immemorial, and variously taking the forms of comedy, drama, documentary and animation. It’s become embedded into every aspect of UK (and world) society.

This unique collection of 50 online videos combines iconic highlights of British online video with other examples chosen to illustrate that sheer diversity. All were acquired by the BFI National Archive as part of the Lottery funded Our Screen Heritage programme. Our thanks to the Lottery, and lottery ticket buyers nationwide. for their support of this vital collecting and preservation work.