The text examines Roman artefacts using design theory to shed new light on our understanding of the relationship between the design and function of objects, and on aspects of Roman behaviour and experience. It examines how artefacts are designed for particular categories of users and what the implications are for discrepant experience.

Ellen Swift is Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Kent. She studied archaeology at University College London where she took her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. She has published widely on Roman artefacts, Roman and late antique art, and the late to post-Roman transition period in the West, contributing innovative approaches. She held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship in 2014-15, and an AHRC project grant 2017-19, titled 'Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: understanding Society and Culture.' She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and Trustee of the Roman Research Trust. Her major publications include Style and Function in Roman Decoration: Living with Objects and Interiors (2009, Ashgate).

• 1: Introduction


• 2: Function


• 3: Behaviour/Experience


• 4: Users


• 5: Production and Users


• 6: Conclusion


• Appendix 1: Ring-Keys Data


• Appendix 2: Pens Data


• Appendix 3: Shears Data


• Appendix 4: Dice Data


• Appendix 5: Dice Chi-squared Statistics


• Appendix 6: Finger-Ring Motifs


• Appendix 7: Square-sided Glass Bottles Data