Award-winning community archaeological dig, Uncovering Roman Carlisle, is set to return this autumn.
The dig aims to discover more of the remaining mysteries of the Roman bathhouse site and will be held between Saturday September 21 and Sunday October 20, running Monday to Saturday of each week.
It hopes to expand understanding of the south of the site, where a Roman cremation urn was discovered on the last day of the excavations in June.
Tours of the site will be held between 10am and 3pm each day.
Schools and education groups are encouraged to visit the site – with more than 1,200 engaging with the URC education programme so far in 2024. A small temporary traveling exhibition is currently in the Carlisle Tourist Information Centre with some background on the site and the project.
Uncovering Roman Carlisle has received funding from the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Wardell Armstrong LLP alongside Cumberland Council, Tullie, and Carlisle Cricket Club have worked together to promote the site and would like to get as many people to visit in this incredible project as possible.
The funding aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. The project will allow members of the public to take part in the community excavation or visit free of charge.
Frank Giecco, technical director at Wardell Armstrong, said: “Through support from Cumberland Council with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we were able to come back to the site again this year and we couldn’t turn down the chance to welcome more volunteers, and to continue to explore more of what is becoming one of the most significant sites on the Roman frontier.
“The building is now estimated at 50m x 60m. We have an added mystery too with what was going on to the south of the Roman road, where there was a large building we discovered, with military finds, two intact beakers, lot of animal bones, and a Roman cremation urn, which was discovered while straightening up a trench at the end of the June phase.
“I cannot emphasise how astounded we are by the discoveries from this site, the amount, the quality, and how unique so many of them are.
“Among the finds from the spring excavation have been potentially more Tyrian Purple fragments, and Carlisle’s oldest Roman Coin – which even predates the birth of the Roman Empire dating to 82 BC. I am always so proud of what we have been able to achieve and of all the ongoing public support that the diggers, the public, and academic community, have contributed and continues to give so. It’s always very humbling. Behind the scenes the work is ongoing with volunteers, universities and specialists who have very generously given their time to study and record these discoveries too.
“We want local people to come and see the dig and visit the site. We have a new website you can find out more at, or if you want to bring a group or are a school wanting to visit you can contact us and book through.
“Around 5,000 people came to see the dig over the spring and summer earlier this year, and same as then we have tours by volunteers at the site between 10am and 3pm each day, anyone can just walk up, but groups over 10 should contact us through the website and make a booking.”
The bathhouse is the largest known building on Hadrian’s Wall, with more than 300 significant finds. Five thousand people visited in May and June this year, with more than 300 volunteers joining in this year to help.
Since 2001, over 3,000 volunteer places have been offered.
Uncovering Roman Carlisle has so far won four awards, three archaeological achievement awards from the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and an award from the Society for Museum Archaeology for the 2023 exhibition. URC featured on the most recent series of Digging for Britain with Dr Alice Roberts. URC will feature in the 2024 series of Great Railway Journeys, promoting Carlisle.
Discoveries by The Diggers has been essential in uncovering over 3000 significant finds.
These finds are evidence that Carlisle has a very high status monumental building, with a connection to the Roman Imperial family.
Among these discoveries are over 700 Roman coins from centuries of occupation. A large amount of painted wall plaster, military finds (such as arrow heads, spear tips, and parts of swords and daggers), 400-plus hair pins, Imperial stamped tiles, North African style vaulting tubes for roof construction, hundreds of stunning glass beads, gaming pieces, even a rare Roman doll’s foot.
Significantly, 70 intaglios have been discovered in the drains. These are magnificently carved gemstones which dropped from Roman signet rings when the glue holding them melted in the bathhouse heat.
Last year, a sample of Tyrian Purple – a type of very expensive purple dye used for the clothes of the Roman Imperial Family, or in high status buildings was discovered, providing strong evidence for an Imperial connection.
Two monumental and unique carved stone heads discovered by a volunteer on their first ever excavation. This year, the foundations for a possible monumental building were discovered to the south of a Roman road where a Roman cremation urn was discovered.
More information and how to book can be found at the Uncovering Roman Carlisle Website: Https://www.uncoveringromancarlisle.co.uk
