Roman Archaeology in Lockdown

The third issue of the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal (TRAJ) provides the opportunity to assess the structural issues in academia detailed in the previous editorials of the journal. The articles, and their authors, included in this volume were each affected by the worldwide pandemic. Throughout this period, however, the world has also become the theatre that enacted a renewal of social movements that amplified marginalised voices and experiences. Lack of representation was a key theme through TRAC 2019 and was emphasised by the conference’s keynote speaker, Zena Kamash. This editorial examines the contemporary context of Roman archaeology, its engagement with social justice, along with the struggles and opportunities afforded to it by COVID-19. Also included is an introduction to the diverse range of subjects discussed throughout TRAJ volume 3, that moves beyond the traditional analysis of ancient Italy and other anglophone countries.