South Shields tombstone is to be loaned to British Museum

The Regina tombstone, which featured in the recent BBC Radio 4 series ‘Being Roman’ by renowned historian Mary Beard, was erected by a man called Barates who came from Palmyra in Syria.

Regina, originally from south-east England, had been a slave, but Barates freed and then married her. When she died, aged 30, he had an expensive tombstone made for her.

Discovered in South Shields, it is the only Romano-British tombstone to be found which has an inscription in two languages, Latin and Aramaic, the language of Barates.

The tombstone which records the death of Regina, a British woman who had been a slave but was freed to marry her 'owner' (Image: TYNE & WEAR MUSEUMS)

Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort - a UNESCO World Heritage site - is lending the Regina tombstone to the British Museum for a forthcoming exhibition about life in the Roman Army.

The British Museum currently has a copy of the tombstone on display but is now borrowing the original for its major new exhibition Legion: life in the Roman army which will look at what it was like to be in one of the most elite fighting forces of all time.

The tombstone records the death of Regina, a British woman from the tribe of the Catuvellauni - based round St Albans.

At some stage Regina became the slave of Barates, from Palmyra in Syria. He later freed her, she became a ‘freedwoman’, and he married her. Regina and Barates would have lived in the civilian settlement outside the fort in South Shields. Barates was probably a trader, dealing with the army.

When she died aged 30, he had an expensive tombstone made for her.

It is Roman in style and has a Latin inscription which reads: ‘To the spirits of the dead and to Regina of the Catuvellauni, freedwoman and wife, age 30, Barates of Palmyra [set this up]’

The Regina tombstone is unique in Britain because it has two inscriptions in different languages (Image: TYNE & WEAR MUSEUMS)

Uniquely in Britain, below the Latin is a second inscription in Barates’ own language, Aramaic, which reads: 'Regina, freedwoman of Barates, alas.’

The tombstone was probably carved by a Palmyrene (not Barates). The Aramaic is more confident than the Latin - a corrected letter can be seen in the Latin inscription - indicating there were other Syrians living at South Shields.

The tombstone is late second century and Regina is shown sitting in a wicker chair - a mainstream type of Roman chair - with spinning in her hands, indicating she was dutiful and industrious. She is also opening up a box, presumably to show off money or jewellery. She is wearing provincial clothing, the type of gown that was fashionable in Britain at the time, but not worn in Rome.

This tombstone is evidence for immigration and the mixing of cultures 1,800 years ago and shows a mix of mainstream Roman, provincial Roman, native and immigrant cultures.

Geoff Woodward, museum manager, said: “The fact that we’ve been approached to loan these artefacts to the British Museum highlights the significance of the collection at Arbeia, which is one of the best from any Roman fort site in the country.

The Regina tombstone, one of the star objects at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort, in being loaned to the British Museum (Image: TYNE & WEAR MUSEUMS)

"Arbeia attracts visitors from all round the world to view the archaeology, the reconstructed buildings and the engaging displays, and we’re delighted to be able to showcase these two particularly stunning objects as part of a major national exhibition.”

Read about previous objects here:

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The objects on loan will return to the museum in late June/early July. In the meantime, information panels will fill the space usually occupied by Regina and some objects relating to the new exhibition Flora: Plants in Roman Life will be on display.

Once the museum re-opens in time for the Easter holidays, visitors will be able to enjoy the latest exhibition, Flora, which explores the use of plants in everyday Roman life, as well as the replanting of the Roman herb garden.

The British Museum exhibition explores the reality of daily life for the men, women and children who were part of the machine which allowed Rome to master its vast empire. The exhibition opens on February 1 and runs until June 23.