Get Involved for Roman Rewards

Are you interested in local archaeology? Would you like to know more about Southwell’s Roman past? Or would you fancy being involved yourself? Well, here is your chance!

The Researching Roman Southwell project is an exciting, community-led project that aims to uncover valuable information about this important part of our local history. Professionally led by MBArchaeology, the project seeks to investigate the town’s Roman past while providing training and hands-on experience, help local people to become involved in their local heritage, and provide a platform for both social and mental wellbeing.

It aims to show that archaeology is fun, stimulating, educational, rewarding and, most importantly, accessible to all.

Over the last year a group of local people have been undertaking documentary research, map work, landscape surveys and practical work to collate all the known information on the Southwell region in the Iron Age and Roman periods. Details of our work can be found on our website www.romansouthwell.wordpress.com

Now the group are trying to raise money to undertake a community excavation on Harvey’s Field, where they hope to dig a series of test pits and create an accurate section through the landscape from the edge of Farthingate down to the Potwell Dyke. Preliminary exploration in the summer of 2014 revealed what appeared to be chronological, in-situ archaeological deposits that contained a couple of Roman pot sherds. This is extremely exciting as it means we can obtain undisturbed data that has so far not been found within the town.

In order to fund the archaeological dig we need to raise enough money to cover the professional support and community training, as well as the finds specialists and a full written report of the dig. The full programme of activities, planned to take place between May – December 2015, will cost £4,300. In order to raise this money, we are embarking on a fundraising campaign that will see local activities and events take place over the coming months. We are also looking to secure donations from local people and businesses.

We have also put together what we call our ‘Roman Rewards’ packages, which members of the general public can purchase for a fee and in return they will be directly involved in the project.

For more information on the project and how to get involved contact matt@mbarchaeology.co.uk

You can keep up-to-date with our fundraising progress by visiting www.romansouthwell.wordpress.com

To watch our video click here