Archaeological dig set to return to Carlisle following previous success

The dig at Carlisle Cricket Club is taking place between Saturday 11 May and Saturday 15 June. Credit: Stuart Walker

The award-winning archaeological dig that discovered two Roman carved heads in Carlisle is set to return.

Uncovering Roman Carlisle is set to return to the bathhouse in the city to discover more of the site.

The dig at Carlisle Cricket Club will take place between Saturday 11 May and Saturday 15 June.

Previously, volunteers have contributed to the dig with those who are interested in contributing encouraged to sign up again.

The dig previously discovered heads which were described as "finds of a lifetime." Credit: ITV

The project is delivered by a partnership of Cumberland Council, Carlisle Cricket Club, Tullie, and Wardell Armstrong LLP.

Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said: “The summer excavation in 2024 will once again provide opportunities for Cumberland residents to take part in archaeology and heritage, or for groups, schools, and individuals to visit a live archaeological excavation.

"Half of all volunteers, self-styled as The Diggers, have never taken part in an archaeological excavation before, and all are welcome.

“I look forward to visiting the dig again this year and meeting everyone involved in this exciting project.”

A temporary exhibition will be set-up to coincide with the dig at the Carlisle Tourist Information Centre in May.

The dig will hope to emulate the previous finds in Carlisle. Credit: Uncovering Roman Carlisle

Frank Giecco, Technical Director at Wardell Armstrong, said: “We are very happy to be welcoming people from Cumberland and beyond back to the site.

"I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve and of all the diggers and everyone who has contributed and continues to give so much to the project. It’s so much more than we could have expected when the bathhouse was first discovered.

“Volunteers have gone on to work or study archaeology and related fields due to the project, we see a lot of new faces a lot of returning, and even feature in BBC and Smithsonian documentaries and international news.

"All the project partners are really looking forward to being back! It’s a bit like with a sport, people are learning and developing and growing through active participation in archaeology and the artefacts continue to shed more light on Carlisle, which was once Rome’s frontier city."

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