More Roman remains revealed at Cumbrian dig

An archaeological dig has unearthed the main street of Roman Papcastle. The remains of a shop, house, lane and yard were found during the six-week dig in the village near Cockermouth.

Aerial view of the Roman fort of Derventio [Credit: Visit Cumbria]

It was on land just south of the Belle Vue pub close to The Mount housing estate.

Archaeologists and volunteers found remains of a main road which led from Papcastle to Carlisle.

Other finds included a figurine of the goddess Venus which would have been used for worship in the home, jewellery, games counters, domestic cooking pots and a pestle and mortar.

It is believed to be an extension of the Derventio settlement, which was discovered during a dig last September.

The excavation was led by Grampus Heritage and Wardell Armstrong Archaeology.

Mark Graham, project manager, said: “We wanted to find an important part of the jigsaw where people lived and carried out their daily life.

Survey map by Grampus Heritage [Credit: Papcastle Org]

“These finds really bring to life what it would have been like to live here during that time.”

The team hopes to carry out another dig next August to find a Roman cemetery.

They will carry geophysical surveys over various sites over the next few months and will start a mini-excavation in May.

Last year’s excavation revealed a Roman bath house, a nearby building believed to have been owned by a high-ranking military official and the remains of a body, believed to be have been hidden from 400AD towards the end of the Roman occupation.

The dig was made possible by £367,700 of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Derventio was one of the largest Romano-British settlements found in northern England.

The Papcastle dig involved 20 local volunteers a day, including pupils from Fairfield Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary School in Cockermouth, Northside Primary School in Workington, Netherhall School in Maryport and Allonby Primary School. 

Source: Times & Star [October 04, 2013]