The annual excavation took place at Cocks Farm Abinger in June-July 2017 under the direction of Emma Corke. Volunteers excavated two trenches in an area of high agricultural activity on the hill adjacent to the known Roman villa site. This area was identified during a magnetometry survey looking at the environs of the villa which uncovered a Roman field system, a Roman lime kiln and a concentration of pits. These features, in the main, are now known to be Iron Age grain storage pits and we have even recovered a considerable amount of burnt grain which will give us information on what was been cultivated at that time. There is also evidence for human activity from the Mesolithic period, the Neolithic and Bronze Age. A number of Roman agricultural trenches have also been found and the current hypothesis is that they may have been an attempt to grow grapes on this south facing slope. One of the most exciting things from CFA17 was the evidence for possible buildings in this area, as indicated by postholes and beam slots. The report on the 2017 dig is due imminently in the Bulletin but meanwhile have a look at the attached display boards to see what was found.

For previous years please look at News and Info under Roman Studies Group Tab for links to Interim Bulletin reports.