Roman dig in Maryport

A major excavation is taking place at the Roman Fort in Maryport. It follows on from work done last year, which discovered evidence of a large wooden building.

Up until that point it was thought that 17 altar stones found on the site in the 19th Century had been buried as part of a religious ceremony, but they were found to have been reused in the foundations of the timber framed building.

The site was a Roman fort, with civilian settlement attached to it. A recent geophysical survey revealed the site to be one of the largest and best preserved in the north of England.

The dig is expected to cost just over £100,000 and is being led by archaeologists from Newcastle University.