Making a Living

There was constant building in Verulamium and many different materials and methods were used to contruct this impressive town, from simple houses to monumental stone arches.

In this picture you can see a trowel still embedded in mortar.

Try building your own arch in the hands-on area or use the light box to look at x-rays of different objects to see how they were made.

Craftsmen produced a wide range of goods which were bought and sold in the town. They took the raw materials produced by the villas and made finished goods to sell. In the museum you can see the special tools and equipment used in leatherworking, boneworking, spinning, weaving and sewing.

The local pottery industry produced much of the pottery that was needed by the town for everything from storage and cooking to burying the ashes of the dead. You can also see evidence of other crafts and professions such as metalworking, glassmaking, butchers and doctors.