This is Archaeology - Hidden in Plain Sight: Uncovering Rural Britain’s Racially Diverse History

In this lecture, Mohammed Dhalech will explore the racially diverse history and my walks over the years across rural Britain. The racially diverse history of rural Britain is well documented, yet it continues to feel invisible to the wider public and communities; much of that presence is erased in the English rural idyll. Our absent presence underlines the fiction that racialised people in rural Britain are recent immigrants.

From the Africans along Hadrian’s Wall to Dartmoor Prison. Diversity was integral to Hadrian’s Wall, which included the African Roman emperor Septimius Severus. The erasure of racialised people from heritage and history mirrors the erasure of racialised people from rural Britain.

This lecture was recorded on the 22 May 2025 as part of the CBA's This Is Archaeology lecture series and Out and About Archaeology. You can find out more about upcoming This Is Archaeology lectures via the CBA website. The lectures are open to all, free to attend and run throughout the year. 

Mohammed Dhalech

Mohammed is a PhD candidate at the School Museum of Studies at the University of Leicester. His research focuses on Race and Rurality, particularly examining the history and heritage of racially diverse people in rural Britain. Mohammed is passionate about enhancing engagement among racially diverse people in the countryside and outdoors, and he is actively involved in environmental and social justice efforts.