South Australian Museum - North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000

This exhibition has now ended.

The Roman material held at the South Australian Museum is actively used as a research tool, and primarily made up of donated material.

The South Australian Museum is fortunate to have items from the Imperial Family and the Colosseum.

See objects made from ceramics such as oil lamps, fragments of vessels and sculptures, as well as glass, coins and metal work. You can also see bricks, tiles and mosaic pieces, such as those from the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy. These objects show us something of the daily lives of the ancient Romans, from the Emperor to the local populace of the time.

The Museum's collection of Roman artefacts has been gradually acquired and represents examples from Britain, Egypt, Gaul (France and the Rhineland), and Italy. 

More items from this collection can be seen in the Egyptian Room on Level 3. You can also visit the Museum of classical Archaeology at the University of Adelaide for more Roman artefacts.

For an interactive experience in the working life of Ancient Rome, visit our summer exhibition, Built Tough: The Awesome Roman Empire.

The Spotlight Series is a changing display that showcases some of the treasures in the South Australian Museum's collections.

Header image: Bas relief sculpture from the Colosseum.