Archaeologist argues Iron Age ruler Verica may have been a woman

Archaeologist Miles Russell argues that Verica, an Atrebates ruler whose appeals to Emperor Claudius may have helped prompt Rome’s invasion of Britain in AD43, was female. The interpretation draws on coins and Verica’s name, but other specialists cited in reporting question whether that evidence establishes Verica’s sex.

• Russell says Verica ruled the Atrebates in parts of what is now Hampshire and West Sussex, and fled to Rome after losing power.· 2 sources
• Russell argues that the name Verica and images on coins—including a figure he identifies as a woman on horseback—support the view that Verica was female.· 2 sources
• Russell says Verica’s appeal to Claudius was important to the invasion of Britain in AD43; the Times snippet likewise says Verica’s appeals may have triggered it.· 2 sources
• Archaeologist Roger Tomlin and coin expert Daphne Nash Briggs raise doubts, citing alternative readings of the name and coin imagery, among other issues.· 1 source