Birdoswald Final Excavations

Newcastle University and Historic England have started work on the final season of a five-year excavation programme at the Roman fort of Birdoswald, on the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

This year’s work will add the latest pieces to a new story which has emerged of the whole Birdoswald settlement, addressing enduring questions regarding the location of the towns of the Roman military in the north, and the pattern of community life outside the walls of the fort.

Over the course of the five-year project, which began in 2021, Newcastle University archaeology students have also joined the project, ensuring they get hands-on training in the latest high-tech archaeological methods.  Archaeology degrees at Newcastle University are officially accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, and this excavation helps ensure that students graduate with the practical skills sought by employers.

 

Image: Birdoswald excavation in progress, Matt Hobson