An average farmer in Roman Britain lived thousands of miles from Rome itself. They would have spent most of their life working fields, tending livestock, repairing fences and worrying about the harvest. Their life was physically demanding and economically precarious. A poor harvest, an illness in the family, or the unexpected loss of an animal could all have serious consequences.
It was a simple, and local life. But, when they sat down to eat, the world might have been right there on the table before them. The wine in their cup could have crossed the sea from Gaul. The pottery in their hands may have been made in a workshop hundreds of miles away. The brooch that fastened their tunic might have been manufactured in a regional centre and bought through local trade networks.
