WE DID IT!
The Birdoswald excavation Territory volunteer manager Sophie Hearn on discovering two thousand years of history hidden beneath the soil.
B
irdoswald Roman Fort lies in a narrow corridor between Hadrian’s Wall and a steep cliff above a meander of the river Irthing. Its story began in AD 122 with the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. The fort itself was added shortly after and occupied throughout the Roman period. At just over five acres, Birdoswald was one of the larger forts on Hadrian’s Wall.
The Wall's construction The Wall was at first built of turf. At Birdoswald, the builders of the turf Wall had to clear woodland and drain a small bog before construction could start. The fort may therefore have begun as a turf and timber construction, but this phase was not completed, and a stone fort was begun instead. The significance of Birdoswald lies in its defences, which are some of the best preserved along the Wall. We are able to know so much about Birdoswald’s story thanks to a century of 24 english-heritage.org.uk
successive excavations. As the only fort extensively excavated on the turf sector of Hadrian’s Wall, it has produced more archaeological evidence for the phases of the Wall’s construction than any other. It was also the first fort to produce substantial evidence for what happened on the Wall when Roman rule in Britain ended. The fort, its vicus (civilian settlement) and cemetery have all been partially excavated. In addition, the extent of the vicus has been revealed through geophysics. More to learn Despite the depth of research, there are still unanswered questions. In the summer of 2021 a new excavation was launched, in partnership with Newcastle University and Historic England. This programme of works will seek to learn more about the settlement around the fort and understand the community who called it home. Scheduled to run annually until 2026, volunteers have
I have enjoyed meeting visitors from all parts of the UK who have been so interested in the excavations, many visiting just for that experience
