AN EXCITING NEW DISCOVERY & ANNOUNCEMENT OF
SUMMER EXCAVATIONS 2013.
CAP is pleased to announce a full six week excavation season to start on
Monday 1st July 2013 until Saturday 10th August2013. There will be camping
available on site with cooking facilities, toilets and showers. There will be a
camping charge of £50 per week (Mon-Sun) or £20 per weekend (Fri-Sun).
To book please use the join us form on www.culverproject.co.uk
The Culver Archaeological Project was formed in 2005 to investigate the archaeology and
landscape surrounding Barcombe Roman villa. The project to date has been very successful
and we have discovered an unknown Roman road, a Roman Industrial site and a Bronze Age
landscape.
Figure 1 Geophysical Survey Results ©CAP2012
In early 2012 we conducted a large magnetometer survey courteously of David Staveley on
Bridge Farm to trace part of the London Lewes road (Margary 114). The results astounded all of
us and it was decided to continue and expand the survey (Figure 1). The picture that emerged
showed a settlement on a bend of the River Ouse. The results of a field walking survey
confirmed our original thought that the settlement was Roman and offered coin evidence of
over 300 years duration.
Its location is ideal being on the cusp of the iron producing Weald with easy access for boats to
ship the iron and with the Greensand Way heading to Hardham and then on to Chichester
linking with London Lewes road and an easterly route to Pevensey. The importance of the site
is enhanced by the close proximity of Barcombe Roman villa, a sizable bath house and CAP’s
road and industrial site, just across the river.
As seen in figure 1 there is a double ditch enclosure which appears to cut the settlement,
although it is possible that it could be the settlement has been built over the enclosure and
that there is more magnetic material in the fill of the ditches. One thing it does tell us is that
there is definite phasing to the site and it is this aspect that is the main priority of our targeted
excavation trenches in 2013 (Figure 2).
For further details of the project please see the full project design on our
website www.culverproject.co.uk
Figure 2 Location of Excavation Trenches Planned for 2013.