Emma Corke, director of excavations at Cocks Farm Abinger, will update us on progress made during the 2022 summer excavation in the field adjacent to the villa. Whilst the villa was first identified in 1877 and further excavations by SyAS took place 1995-7 the most recent series of excavation commenced in 2009. Use of magnetometry has enabled the targeting of features which reflect the agricultural land usage relating to both the villa and earlier settlement.

Our final speaker for the 2022-23 winter series is David Rudling who will be talking about Roman coins and their use in Britain. David is Academic Director of the Sussex School of Archaeology and former Director of the University College London Field Unit. He specialises in Roman archaeology and is particularly known for his excavations of several major Roman villa sites in the South-East of England.

A site at Lightwater was dug by Geoff Cole for Surrey Heath Archaeology and Heritage Trust back in the 1980s. It was found to be an IA/RB site with good evidence for ironworking, still regarded as of more of local importance.

The Carausian revolt of AD 286–296 was a fascinating period in Roman history  during which Britain and northern Gaul were ruled by Carausius, a Roman naval commander, who declared himself emperor.

We are pleased to welcome Paul Booth who will talk about the Roman settlement at Dorchester on Thames.

This year the Roman Studies Group celebrates its 20th anniversary and we are pleased to celebrate this event with a talk by Joanna Bird on the Colchester Vase. This will take place after a short AGM. 

The Roman Studies Group announces its bi-annual conference to be held at Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall, Ashtead on 6th May 2023. Whilst the speakers and timetable have yet to be confirmed we can announce the following:

Dr. John Pearce of King's College London, will give the keynote talk on 'The general character of the funerary world' which will include the Roman funerary process and aspects of its legal, spatial, cultural, socio-economic context, and monuments raised over the dead.

Crofton Roman Villa, Crofton Rd, Orpington BR6 8AF