Focus on the Forum

The Roman Forum becomes the focal point for archaeologists returning to Caistor this summer.

The 3-week dig is open to the public, with two special family history days being organised in conjunction with the BBC.

Now in its third year, archaeologists are keen to uncover more detail about the Roman town’s Forum, sited near the church. Dr Will Bowden, an Associate Professor of Roman Archeology at the University of Nottingham, who’s leading the project, said: “The Roman Forum was originally partly dug in the 1930s but we don’t really understand what they found in the 30s – so we thought it would be a good area to focus on.”

Venta Icenorum is a scheduled ancient monument, owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust. The only previous large-scale excavations at Caistor were carried out between 1929 and 1935.

Around 2000 people visited the dig last year in the first 10 days. A Finds Tent showed some of the items the archaeologists uncover, as well as giving background to the site itself. The project will run for 3 weeks, beginning on Saturday 13th August through to Saturday 3rd September. Open 7 days a week, the project are happy for the public to visit them on site.

On Sunday 21st August and Sunday 28th August, they’ll be hosting family activity days, in association with the BBC’s ‘Hands on History’ series. Families will be given a chance to try out make-shift excavations and be given ideas to take away with them.

Last year, the focus was on looking into whether the site was an important Iron Age settlement, before becoming a Roman town. Dr Will Bowden said: “We haven’t found any evidence it was or it wasn’t but we may get some insight on that this year. If there is a major Iron Age settlement around here, it may not have been at Caistor itself.”

Funding for the project should last to allow archaeologists to return to Caistor next year.