Hadrian's Wall

• History
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Hadrian's Wall

What do you already know about Hadrian's Wall?

Who built Hadrian's Wall?

1. Normans
2. The Celts
3. The Roman Empire under Emperor Hadrian
4. Vikings

When did the Romans build Hadrian's Wall?

1. Around AD 122
2. AD 200
3. AD 150
4. AD 100

How long was Hadrian's Wall?

1. 100 miles long
2. 30 miles long
3. 50 miles long
4. Approximately 73 miles long

What was a milecastle?

1. A small fort along Hadrian's Wall
2. An amphitheater
3. A city gate
4. A type of Roman ship

Why was Hadrian’s Wall built?

1. To mark the end of the Roman Empire
2. For agricultural purposes
3. As a trade route
4. To protect Roman Britain from invasions

Who built Hadrian's Wall?

1. Nero
2. Roman Emperor Hadrian
3. Constantine
4. Julius Caesar

How long did it take to build Hadrian's Wall?

1. 3 years
2. 10 years
3. 12 years
4. 6 years

Britain became a region on the edge of the mighty empire of Rome, which stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Africans first came to Britain with the Roman Empire. Long before Britain began to build its own empire, it was invaded and conquered by the Romans in the year 43 AD.

When we talk about Romans, we don’t just mean people from Rome and Italy. Roman citizens could come from anywhere in the empire. People from all over the empire and even beyond travelled huge distances to trade, work and fight in Roman Britain. 

By the time the Romans had been here for 200 years, some places in Britain may have had a more diverse population than they do today.

The first recorded group of Africans living in Britain were soldiers in the Roman army. They came to defend the edge of the empire at Hadrian’s Wall. Soldiers were stationed in forts and watchtowers along the wall. Those soldiers came from all over the empire - and so did their families, their commanders, and traders who sold them whatever they needed. 

In 1934, Latin words were found carved into a stone in a village in Cumbria, north-west England. They said that a group of soldiers called the ‘Aurelian Moors’ had been stationed at the nearby fortress of Aballava between the years 253 and 258AD. 

The word ‘moors’ means ‘people from North Africa’, the part of the empire where the soldiers came from. They were named ‘Aurelian’ after the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. There is another mention of the Aurelian Moors of Aballava in a list of Roman officials travelling, which confirms that they were there.

Aballava wasn’t just a fort - it was a whole community. As well as soldiers and officers, other people from across the empire would have lived in Aballava, including the soldiers’ families.

When did the Romans invade Britain?

1. 60 AD
2. 30 AD
3. 43 AD
4. 50 AD

What regions did the Roman Empire cover?

1. Only Italy
2. North America
3. Europe, North Africa, Middle East
4. Asia, Australia, Antarctica

Who could be considered a Roman citizen?

1. Only traders
2. Anyone from the Roman Empire
3. Only Italians
4. Only soldiers

How long were Romans in Britain?

1. 100 years
2. 200 years
3. 300 years
4. 150 years

Was Britain's population diverse during Roman rule?

1. Only Romans lived there
2. Diversity was limited
3. No, very homogenous
4. Yes, more diverse than today

Where were the first Africans in Britain stationed?

1. York
2. Hadrian's Wall
3. Bath
4. London

What does 'moors' refer to?

1. Roman soldiers
2. British tribes
3. People from North Africa
4. Celtic warriors

Who were the Aurelian Moors named after?

1. Emperor Julius Caesar
2. Emperor Marcus Aurelius
3. Emperor Augustus
4. Emperor Nero

What was Aballava besides a fort?

1. A temple
2. A trading post
3. A whole community
4. A military base

When were the Aurelian Moors stationed at Aballava?

1. 253 to 258 AD
2. 200 to 205 AD
3. 150 to 155 AD
4. 300 to 305 AD

What do the Aurelian Moors tell us about the Roman Empire?