The 2019 excavation at Dunyvaig was immensely successful. The discovery of: new buildings, special finds, wall foundations, stairways, floor surfaces and middens allowed for some solid new theories on the chronological story of this important site. In Trench 2 specifically, the Sea Gate Crew had been working around the clock to uncover as much as possible of the new building […]
The University of Reading has kicked off its second field school of the year at the site of Dunyvaig Castle. The castle is situated on the South-East of the Hebridian isle of Islay and except for last years UoR evaluation, there have been no previous archaeological excavations on the site. So far, 6 trenches have been opened. The main trenches […]
Once again the University of Reading’s Archaeology Department has done a sterling job organising and running a field school for its students. Alongside undergraduate and postgraduate students, local residents, archaeology enthusiasts, A-Level students and long-time Silchester volunteers arrived to help excavate, record and decipher the Roman Bathhouse of Calleva. The areas opened in 2019 were a combination of extensions from […]
Upon my return from the Eternal City, I gathered my site-gear and head out into the fields of Silchester Roman town. Everyone has been working very hard and after setting up my tent and meeting this years students, I found myself in the midst of teaching in week 3 of the excavation. All three trenches are now well underway with […]
Day 57 – Our final Monday on the City of Rome course was spent at the Mausoleum of Hadrian the Castel Sant’Angelo. Here we were greeted by Paolo Vitti, a scholar in architecture with a wealth of knowledge about the tomb and the challenges it presented to those who built it. Built in the 1st century CE for the emperor […]
Day 51 – On Tuesday of week 8, the fellows of the City of Rome walked along the Via Salaria to the Mausoleum of Santa Costanza. This tomb for the daughter of Constantine sits high on a hill and still houses some magnificent pieces of mosaic artistry. The building is circular and in the concave ceiling that runs above the […]
Day 43 – Trastevere is an area of Rome that sits on the opposite side of the river Tiber to the centre of the city. It is filled with orange stuccoed buildings, random ruins and columns, bars, restaurants, churches and shops. For the City of Rome cohort, we arrived at the Excubitorium of the Vigiles on Via della VII Coorte […]