Roman excavation site at Barcombe Mills open for site tours on Saturday July 15

Guided tours will take place at 10am, 11am, and 12noon with one of the archaeology team leading you to the site and explaining the settlements significance within the wider Roman landscape of the Upper Ouse Valley, its extent and formation, before going on to describe the current excavations and some of the possible theories for the enigmatic features being discovered. There will also be a comprehensive display in the project’s Finds Unit of a selection of the more interesting artefacts discovered at the site over recent seasons.

The current excavations (Trench 7), in the centre of the double ditch enclosure, have unexpectedly revealed a large group of substantial, well-dug, pits with evidence of burning and high temperatures suggesting industrial activity but without, as yet, giving any clear ideas as to the precise products being processed.

This is in marked contrast to the abundance of artefacts, ranging over 350 years, that have been collected by the team. This includes tens of thousands of Roman period pottery sherds, unusually containing a high percentage of fine table wares from distant British and continental producers, along with the more commonly found local cooking and storage vessels. Coins, brooches, and other metal items, as well as extremely rare preserved timbers, will also be on display.

The ongoing project is currently in its 13th year of investigations on this site having formerly discovered a Roman road on the west bank of the river in 2005, when the project was founded. It is a community project, headed by an experienced team of volunteer archaeologists, offering participation and training to volunteers and students on an important research excavation.

There is no charge for the tours but donations will be gratefully received to help fund the ongoing investigations and the crucial post-excavation analysis.

For further details of the project and the results to date go to www.culverproject.co.uk