Raksha Dave is Heading Ooop North!

Do you like Roman archaeology? I’m coming to Lancaster Castle with DigVentures to dig the Roman site at Quay Meadows and we’d LOVE to meet you!

To say that I’m a bit excited is an understatement – today I am giddy! I’m off ooop North with Nige Steel, DV’s Community Archaeologist to spend 6 days with the Lancaster District Heritage Group to help them excavate the archaeology surrounding Lancaster Castle….

It’s no secret that I’m a Lancashire lass and bizarrely this will only be the second time I have set my trowel on the motherland!   The first time was machine excavating Second World War American bombers from a boggy marsh and something so far removed from what is seen as traditional archaeology that going up to Lancaster to ‘do some proper digging’ will be a real treat.

Over the centuries the area around Lancaster Castle has proven to be a busy little pocket of Britain. Early excavations in the 1920’s at Castle Hill provided evidence of a Roman Fort but it wasn’t until major excavations directed by Sir Ian Richmond in the 50’s and 60’s that revealed Lancaster once had a thriving Roman centre with its own bathhouse, large courtyard house and Fort. Later excavations in the 70s and 80s have plugged the gaps revealing that human occupation in the area stretches way back into the prehistoric!

Lancaster and District Heritage Group will explore the archaeology surrounding the famous Medieval castle. Last year they successfully pulled together the existing archaeological archive and commissioned a new set of geophysics to see just what was there.

This week DV has the pleasure of helping the group excavate Quay Meadow, which has never been dug before. We can’t wait to get the first shovel in the ground as there is a real potential for significant discoveries in Quay Meadow. The River Lune borders the Northern side of the meadow with an existing Quay dating to the Medieval period. Will we find evidence of an earlier riverfront features or larger structures relating to the Roman occupation of Lancaster?

The excavations at Quay Meadow next to Lancaster Castle are open to the public and DV will also be keeping you updated on progress on the World Wide Web. If you fancy popping in for a chat, a brew or a pint we will be there from 17^th -23^rd September including the weekend!

Quay Meadow Roman Excavations are open to the public and will take place 17th-23rd September, next to Lancaster Castle. Come and visit!