Roman walls were rarely blank: they tended to be covered with wall paintings, graffiti or both. Why? What did the paintings on the walls mean, and how were they made? What did the graffiti say, and how were they made? In this workshop you will find out and produce some ancient-style wall decorations yourself. Specifically, you will:

·         see examples of Roman wall paintings and learn to understand them,

·         design your own Roman-style wall painting,

·         make Roman paint (minus the poisonous ingredients),

·         try to paint your picture on plaster with that paint (the plaster is not part of Butser’s beautiful villa walls, but a separate piece that you can take home),

·         learn about ancient graffiti and its purposes by looking at real examples,

·         learn a little Latin,

·         compose your own Roman-style graffiti,

·         try to paint and/or inscribe your graffiti using Roman tools and materials.

Roman graffiti

This workshop is designed for ages 8-16, but older and younger participants may be welcomed on a case-by-case basis. All participants must be able to read, but no other prior knowledge or artistic ability is needed: lack of artistic ability did not stop Romans from painting on walls, so it need not stop us. The workshop will be held at the reconstructed Roman villa at Butser Ancient Farm, admission to which is included in the workshop fee. There will be a lunch break and two snack breaks, for which you can bring your own food or purchase sandwiches, snacks and beverages from the farm’s shop. If the weather is good, you can picnic in the villa garden; if it rains, in the villa itself. Please wear clothes that can cope if you get paint on them: Roman paint does not wash out easily. (Tickets are £30, or £50 if combined with Roman shopping and banking workshop). The workshop runs from 13.00 to 16.00, but collection is possible until 17.00.

The workshop will be led by Professor Eleanor Dickey FBA. Eleanor did her D.Phil. at Oxford and is now Professor of Classics at the University of Reading. She has published numerous books about the ancient world and its surviving texts and has taught in six different countries.

Professor Eleanor Dickey

This workshop is offered in partnership with the Reading Ancient Schoolroom, an educational charity started at the University of Reading in 2014 with the aim of bringing Roman schools to life and sharing them with today’s children. The Ancient Schoolroom will be in residence at Butser’s Roman villa from 19-25 August 2026, offering a range of workshops and drop-in activities.

If you have any mobility concerns, special requirements, or other practical questions, please contact admin@butserancientfarm.co.uk. For questions about workshop content or participants outside the expected age range, please contact the Reading Ancient Schoolroom at E.Dickey@reading.ac.uk.