Rare Roman curse tablets to go on display at Cirencester museum
The tablets have been loaned to Corinium Museum for 5 years
Last updated 20th Oct 2026
Rare Roman curse tablets are to go on public display for the first time in the UK at a museum in Cirencester.
The tablets, which were found in the Cotswolds, have been loaned to Corinium Museum for five years by the Research I Library in the United States, which acquired them to support its ongoing research into the Roman world.
Visitors will get the chance to see the objects up close and learn more about the beliefs and rituals of Roman Britain.
What are curse tablets?
Romans used curses in an attempt to influence the lives of others, particularly people who had wronged them.
The messages were usually inscribed onto thin sheets of lead.
The sheets were then folded or rolled up and hidden in graves, buried in the ground, or cast into wells, springs and other sacred places to invoke supernatural intervention.
It was believed the curse would remain active for as long as the tablet stayed concealed.
The cloak thief curse
Cotswold District Council say the tablets have scratches across the surface of the lead and they are small and some were folded, which makes them very difficult to translate.
Professor Roger Tomlin from Oxford University has helped to unlock some of their secrets.
His work has revealed that at least one curse is dedicated to the god Mercury, who was widely worshipped in and around Roman Corinium.
The curse concerns the theft of a cloak and appeals to the god for justice.
Professor Tomlin's translation reads: "To the god Mercury Aruerius (from) name lost. I complain to you. Lord concerning my property, a cloak and hood Whoever stole this, whether slave or free, whoever stole this, the god is not to let them stand or sit, or drink or eat, unless they…you…with [their own blood."
Emma Stuart, Director of Corinium Museum, said: "The curse tablets are the first example of this type of ritual artefact we have from the Roman period. Unlike the Roman Baths, we didn't have any examples of curse tablets in our collection until the generous offer of a loan was extended by Research I Library.
"The Roman people scratching Latin into these tablets must have been educated even to a basic standard and, if nothing else, these objects are a wonderful example of Roman revenge."
When the tablets will be on show
The lead tablets have recently been conserved and stabilised by the Conservation and Museums Advisory Service (CMAS).
The team used raking light to enhance the lettering in recent photographs.
The Cotswold Curse Tablets will be on very brief display at the museum during the Cirencester History Festival at the end of October.
A special mount will then be made so they can be displayed in the main Roman gallery.
A formal launch of the new display will take place in 2027.
To coincide with the display, the museum is running a children's Halloween workshop on 30th October where youngsters can make their own 'curse tablet'.