Papcastle Roman Fort - volunteers wanted

A major investigation into Roman remains uncovered in the aftermath of Cockermouth's devastating floods is set to get underway this month.

Volunteers are needed for groundbreaking work on what is believed to be a settlement near the Papcastle Roman fort, surveyed by Channel 4's Time Team a decade ago but still not thoroughly excavated.

Forthcoming geophysical searches for buildings, roads and signs of occupation follow significant recent finds of possible foundations and a lot of pottery, unearthed by receding flood waters.

Organised by Bassenthwaite Reflections' Unlocking Hidden Heritage project, volunteers will be helping to piece together fascinating pieces of history in the first area study of its kind.

Using magnetometers - instruments that can detect buried walls - exploration will centre on fields alongside the River Derwent.

Project leader Mark Graham, of Grampus Heritage and Training, said there was real potential for adding to the compelling jigsaw of Roman occupation in the county.

He said: "With the help of volunteers, we were delighted to lead the nationally significant discovery of a camp, thought to date back to the first century at Castlerigg, near Keswick, two years ago.

"Now, through Heritage Lottery Fund supported Reflections, we have another amazing opportunity to find further vital Roman evidence.

"A considerable amount of pottery has been found post floods. We've always suspected the Romans had some sort of river crossing at Papcastle. Hopefully, our searches might provide some answers."

Details from the survey and excavation will form part of the county's archaeological record. Mark said the research could also bring important information for flood prevention and recovery measures currently under discussion.

He added: "This is a fantastic opportunity for volunteers to get involved in this unique survey and we look forward to hearing from anyone interested."

Fieldwork takes place from 24 to 28 May. For details contact Grampus Heritage and Training on 016973 21516, email enquiries@grampusheritage.co.uk

Coins of ancient Rome

Ancient Rome had some rather interesting coins with nude figures and erotic imagery. The Denge blog has pictures, and asks whether these coins were used to pay prostitutes, or were in general circulation. If they were in general circulation, what was the symbolism of the explicit scenes on them?

Romani ite domum

A new website has been launched to mark the 1600th anniversary of the end of Roman Britain. There will be digs, conferences, lectures, festivals and exhibitions. Proposed digs include Binchester Fort, Caerleon Fortress, Carr Dyke, Colworth Villa, St Albans, and Vindolanda Fort. There's also a lot of lectures and conferences lined up already. There will also be festivals at Caerleon, St Albans, and Hadrian's Wall.

As you can see from this photo I took on Oxford station in 2007, it's still a live issue...



Life of Brian - Romani ite domum

Happy birthday Rome

Celebrations of Rome's 2762nd birthday - with lots of fabulous photos (hat-tip to Chas Clifton).

Tironian notes

I just discovered the fascinating topic of Tironian notes and other ancient alphabets and forms of shorthand.

Tironian notes were invented in Ancient Rome by a freed slave called Tiro, and remained in use into the medieval period. They were a form of shorthand. The Tironian & symbol is still in use in Ireland, according to the Wikipedia article.

I wonder if any archaeological items have been found with Tironian notation on them?

Sagalassos, city in the clouds

This is where they found sculptures of the Emperor Hadrian and the Empress Faustina:

clipped from www.archaeology.org City in the Clouds In 1706, Paul Lucas, traveling in southwest Turkey on a mission for the court of Louis XIV, came upon the mountaintop ruins of Sagalassos. The first Westerner to see the site, Lucas wrote that he seemed to be confronted with remains of several cities inhabited by fairies. Later, during the mid-nineteenth century, William Hamilton described it as the best preserved ancient city he had ever seen. Toward the end of that century, Sagalassos and its theater became famous among students of classical antiquity. Yet large scale excavations along the west coast at sites like Ephesos and Pergamon, attracted all the attention. Gradually Sagalassos was forgotten...until a British-Belgian team led by Stephen Mitchell started surveying the site in 1985.