MVAHG excavations

Our members have the opportunity to take part in MVAHG excavations whatever your level of experience - novice or expert. Excavations usually take place for two to four weeks during the summer period. However, this depends on whether we have a site to investigate so we cannot guarantee that an excavation will take place every year.

Past excavations have included the 'Temple Site' in Exton where investigations were carried out for five years from 2016-2020. This was a joint project with the University of Winchester and directed by Professor Tony King.

In 2022 we carried out an excavation of a site in Meonstoke where we discovered a Bronze Age ring ditch with a crouched burial, cut by Saxon pits. This excavation was also directed by Professor Tony King.

Read more about our discoveries in the pages in this section.

A geophysical survey carried out by MVAHG over the 2019-20 Autumn/Winter season at Meonstoke revealed part of an unusually large ditch, believed to be an Iron age hillfort. Further geophysics carried out from May-December of 2021 explored the adjacent area using both resistivity and magnetometry techniques in order to trace the ditch further south. The results detected numerous circular and subcircular anomalies consistent with the interior of an Iron Age hillfort. The smallest of these were considered to be pits, whilst the larger were interpreted as the remains of Iron Age round houses. The aim of the excavation, led by Professor Tony King, was to gain evidence of Iron Age activity to support the theory of a slight univallate hillfort in this prominent position close to the hill top. Consequently, one of the more prominent large circular features in a present-day paddock was targeted. This had an anomaly within its interior - possibly the gully of a roundhouse with an internal pit. Additionally, a section of a further low resistance subcircular feature to the north east of the circular anomaly would be explored.

As our excavation was limited to two weeks in duration, the site was marked out to capture half of the feature, to include the central area and the surrounding ditch. The topsoil of the trench, which measured 15 metres by 9 metres, was removed by mechanical digger. Numerous finds were made from contexts 1 and 2 including animal bone, animal teeth, oyster shells and pottery sherds (pre and post medieval) showing signs of feasting. Notable finds unearthed from context 2 included both flint cores and flakes, together with burnt flint. Pottery from this context comprised sherds from the Bronze Age through to the Saxon period.

Trench 1

At the end of the first week the dark curve of the ditch became clearly visible together with four further darker, circular pits inside the ditch area (photo above). The ditch was dug in sections, producing few finds. However, significantly those unearthed are identified as Bronze Age pot sherds.

Inside the curve of the ditch, the four circular pits were sectioned off and excavated. Artefacts found include Saxon pot sherds, animal bones and teeth, charcoal, a quern stone and a copper alloy stud with rivet. Interestingly Roman flue tiles and CBM also unearthed here reveal that these materials had been recycled by the Saxons from the Roman site close by. These Saxon pits were probably cesspits initially then used as rubbish pits, evidenced by the material found.

Excitingly, at the end of the dig, the lower part of a human skeleton was discovered. The body had been laid on one side with the legs drawn up - these 'crouched' burials are prevalent during the pre-historic period. Although the grave of the inhumation was shallow, originally it would have been covered by a mound of earth, possibly 2-3 metres high and surrounded by a ditch. The geophysics had shown an anomaly in the centre of the circular feature. However, this body was not in the centre and had been cut by a Saxon pit. Tony King believes we have found a secondary burial and that the primary burial (in the centre) has disappeared, cut away by the formation of the central pit.

Having obtained a licence from the Ministry of Justice, the bones were lifted. At this time the upper part of the body was discovered, including the skull, and these bones were also lifted. There were no grave goods present. In order to verify that this is indeed a Bronze Age burial, bones from the body will need to be radio carbon dated.

Trench 2

The results of the geophysics had also revealed a further large subcircular anomaly less than 10 metres north-east of the circular feature we were investigating. With limited time, this was too large to investigate as a whole, therefore a trench 2 metres by 3 metres was marked out to capture a section of this feature. Following the mechanical removal of turf at the start of Week 2, digging started in earnest. After the removal of a substantial amount of soil on the first day in 'Trench 2', a large number of animal bones and pottery was unearthed during the next few days. Of particular note was the discovery of the jaw of a horse and part of a Saxon pot. Dr Nick Stoodley has identified this area as part of the remains of a probable sunken featured building (SFB), also referred to as a Grubenhaus (pit-house).

Conclusion

Our aim at the start of the dig was to find evidence to support the theory of an Iron Age hillfort by the excavation of a putative roundhouse. Although no evidence was found to substantiate Iron Age settlement, importantly what we did find was Saxon settlement evidenced by the pits and a potential sunken featured building. Significantly, we have evidence of a Bronze Age ditch which would have surrounded a burial mound. However, this barrow was probably constructed some 1500 years before the Saxon pits were dug. Although Roman CBM and flue tiles were found at the site, the Saxons re-using material from the nearby Roman site, the Iron Age evidence is scant. The ditch shown on the geophysics conducted during 2019-2021 is too large to be a natural geological feature. Was there an Iron Age hillfort in this prominent position close to the hill top? If so, why was it deliberately destroyed? Our theory of a slight univallate hillfort in Meonstoke requires further investigation.

With work completed in the Temple area and at the Barrow site, the aim of the two-week excavation this year was to locate the corners of the mausoleum and to find the floor and furnace in the bath house.

The Mausoleum

Last year, a new area was opened up adjacent to the temple site. Work was undertaken to determine the nature of the high resistance square feature discovered by geophysics. Early digging here revealed a platform-like structure and initial thoughts were that this could be a water mill or possibly a riverside platform for human sacrifice, in view of its proximity to the temple site. Further digging revealed a mass of tiles (tegulae and imbrices) which would have been used as a waterproof and durable roof on a Roman building. More significant was the discovery of some human bones including a tibia, fibula, metatarsal and phalange of a young female. However, it is possible that the bones had been placed in a wooden box and there was sufficient space next to this for an adult sarcophagus. Tony King believes this structure is a mausoleum: the first example of a Roman mausoleum in rural Hampshire.

The aim this year was to locate the corners of the mausoleum to determine its size and locate the foundations. The depth of the foundations would be an indication of the height of the tower.

As the site developed, the flint structure around the burial chamber was uncovered. This is a type of Mausoleum with a wide wall, or wide plinth, with an inner chamber and a low tower. This inner chamber measures a perfect square of 6.19 m x 6.19 m. The large outer flint structure is wide but its foundations are less than 30 cm deep meaning that the building is likely to be a low tower possibly with a pyramidal roof.

The above photo shows the square mausoleum area with a pile of smashed up roof tiles close to the centre. The bones of an adolescent female were found to the right of here, together with two large coffin nails. This was not a Christian burial, as the alignment of the tiles is N-S. Tony King, suggests that there is sufficient space for a secondary burial here.

Tony King regards the mausoleum as significant. As he states, most Roman mausolea in Britain are usually 1st or 2nd century. What is interesting about the mausoleum here is that late 3rd to early 4th century AD and a late burial, rather than a cremation. Furthermore, few examples of mausolea have been discovered in Hampshire and it is highly unusual for a Roman mausoleum to be found in a deep rural setting such as here.

The Bath House

The question of whether this structure was a conventional bath house or a more ornamental building such as a nymphaeum had been answered in 2019. However, some unanswered questions remained for the 2020 excavation. We had good evidence that there was a hypocaust with the tiles still in position in some areas. However, for the most part, these were gone and we had masonry surfaces (rough concrete floors), dating to the second half of the 4th century. This year, could we locate further evidence of the hypocaust and additionally the furnace room?

The Hypocaust

A hypocaust is essentially a Roman heating system in which hot air circulated under the floor and between double walls. The ceiling of the hypocaust was raised above the ground by pillars (pillae) supporting a layer of tiles, followed by a layer of concrete, then the floor tiles of the rooms above. Hot air and smoke from the furnace would circulate through the enclosed area and up through clay or tile flue in the walls of the rooms above.

During the first few days of excavation, more hypocaust tiles were exposed, this (above) mortared to a box flue tile. Wooden rollers were used to make an impression in the damp cement of the flue tile to allow the tile to be keyed, enabling the tile to be firmly mortared into place.

Above ground, water was supplied via pipes to the rooms of the bath house. During the 2018 excavation a drain taking water away from the frigidarium was exposed on the southerly side. However, it was necessary to keep the underground hypocaust system dry, and therefore a drain or pipeline was needed to allow accumulated water vapour to be released from the underground channel. This year we discovered evidence that a drain was running around the base of the walls, close to the exposed hypocaust tiles, as shown in the photo below.

Locating the furnace room

Last year we thought we had found the extent of the bath house walls. However, this year an exploratory extension, 2 m x 1 m, was undertaken at the Northern end of the bath house to try to find the furnace room. The furnace room was likely to be next to the hottest part of the bath house, the caldarium. At first, this area looked to be a further wall. However, further digging defined a square shaped mass of masonry: mortar running through a collection of flints, believed to be the support for a water tank (see photo above). As Tony King relates, some bath houses have rooms outside the building for supporting a water tank inside. This tank would be raised to provide a head of water. Often this would have a furnace next to it, with a flue and a fire pit inside. More elaborate baths have iron bars over this, with a giant kettle for boiling water over it. At the same time the smoke and heat from the fire would be going through the underground system of the hypocaust itself. In theory, the furnace room should be close to this structure for the water tank.

Unfortunately, we did not locate the furnace room. Tony King believes it is likely that the elusive furnace room has collapsed or been destroyed. There are signs of harrow marks close to where it would be located. As the course of the old River Meon was in close proximity, it is also probable that the furnace room has been eroded away over time.

The importance of this site is clear. We have a rare hexagonal shrine dating back to the Iron Age, alongside a Roman bath house with a hypocaust and high-quality painted plaster. The discovery of the mausoleum affirms the prosperity of the owner and is significant as it is thought to be the only rural Roman mausoleum found in Hampshire. Together with the Roman aisled building across the road, this signifies a high-status site, unique in Hampshire and possibly unique in Roman Britain.

Acknowledgements:
MVAHG would like to sincerely thank Chris and Clare Martin and Bruce and Gill Horn, Professor Tony King, Dr Nick Thorpe, Alan French, Dom Escott, Lesley Johnson and the archaeology students of the University of Winchester. Many thanks additionally to Dr Nick Stoodley and Andy Payne. Huge thanks also to all our dig volunteers and metal detectorists for their continued help and enthusiasm over the past five years.

We are very grateful for the support of the following organisations: The Association for Roman Archaeology, Council for British Archaeology (Wessex), Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Field Club, Historic England, The Robert Kiln Trust, South Downs National Park Authority, Winchester City Council.

All Aerial photos courtesy of Ian Harris. All other photos: Alison Smalley (MVAHG)

The Temple

Last year's excavation had seen the discovery of the skeleton of a mare and her foal in the centre of the hexagon. Work was undertaken here to define the edges of the Iron Age ditch producing large pieces of Iron Age pottery including sherds from eating and drinking vessels. During this process, at the end of the second week, another significant find was made. This was the cranium (top part of the skull without the jaw) of an adolescent horse. This 'trophy' and the unearthing of two horse scapulae at other parts of the Iron Age ditch confirms the view that this was a site of sacrifice, namely to the goddess Epona. Epona is associated with horses and often depicted riding a female horse with a cornucopia. She is, by extension, viewed as a mother goddess, connected with fertility. From the late Iron Age Epona is associated with horses and horsemanship, continuing through to the Roman period. Horses were associated with wealth and much revered by Roman cavalrymen and there is evidence for her cult worship in France, Germany and parts of Britain. The discovery of the partial skull enhances the view that the mare and her foal were deliberately and ritualistically placed here. In consequence, according to Tony King, we have at this site amongst the strongest evidence for Epona in the whole of Roman Britain.

Further evidence this year affirmed this to be a place for worship from the Iron Age through to the late Roman period. There is evidence of feasting: an assortment of animal bones (cows, sheep and pigs) and a large chalky ash platform inside the hexagonal area. Outside the hexagon are pits with structured deposits of broken pottery, animal bones and oyster shells. Supporting dating evidence included a coin of Epaticcus (who governed from c25-35 AD), an Iron Age Potin coin and pottery from 60-70 AD.

The Bath House

At the end of the 2018 excavation, Tony King posed the question: 'Is this a conventional bath house or a more ornamental building, such as a nymphaeum?' Early stages of this year's excavation revealed a further room of the structure matching the apsidal ended rooms discovered last year. We now have a conventional bath house which has a similar plan to other bath houses in Hampshire such as at Sparsholt and Braishfield. The drone photo (above) shows the distinct rooms of the bath house with these hemicycles at the end of the dig. These comprise of two hot rooms (caldarium) a warm room (tepidarium) and a cold room (frigidarium) which may have also incorporated a changing room (apodyterium).

The Mausoleum

The MVAHG geophysical survey carried out in 2015 had revealed a square feature of high resistance on a different alignment to the hexagon and bath house. Initial digging here revealed a platform like structure and a ditch. The platform comprised rammed chalk, with layers of flint, but at around 25cm in depth, was unlike the massive foundations of the hexagon. A ditch ran adjacent to this platform and time was spent digging deeper to locate the bottom of this and to trace its edge. The proximity to the river suggests that this was a channel of the river, and this is borne out by the discovery of the jaw of an otter. Chalk blocks were also found here, probably protecting the embankment. The ditch has very little stratigraphy with a single deposit of jumbled artefacts. These included Iron Age and Roman pottery, a medieval skillet and pottery, a Victorian penny and plastic. Initial thoughts to its purpose were a water mill (there is a Roman mill at Fullerton on the Thames for example), or possibly a platform for human sacrifice into the river.

Further exploration was needed and an extension of the platform area was dug by hand. Upon removing the rubble an area of Roman tiles with a sharply defined straight edge at one end, but damaged at the other end, were discovered. This mass of tiles comprised tegulae and imbrices and would have been used as a waterproof and durable roof covering on a Roman building. In addition, two very large iron nails and the remains of some others were found. More significant was the discovery of some human bones including a tibia, fibula, metatarsal and phalange of a young female. This is borne out by the very thin cranium and small atlas, consistent with bones of an adolescent. The area has been robbed out. However, it is possible that the bones had been placed in a wooden box and there was sufficient space next to this for an adult sarcophagus. Tony King believes this structure is a mausoleum: the first example of a Roman mausoleum in Hampshire. There are examples of mausolea on the outskirts of Roman towns such as Colchester and St Albans, but mausolea are uncommon in Southern Britain. Furthermore, in Roman Gaul, tower like structures existed housing a chamber in the base for burials. It is difficult to say what the mausoleum here would have looked like, however, a piece of curved stone excavated here may be part of a decorative column. Whoever lived here would have been relatively wealthy; we have a shrine, a bath house with high-quality painted plaster and now a mausoleum.

The Barrow Site

Last year's excavation here located two prehistoric burial monuments, identified from the traces on the geophysical survey. The first comprised a round barrow approximately 30 m in diameter. This had no signs of a burial. However, the evidence could have been destroyed in the past or possibly we did not locate it, as burials were not always right in the centre. A ditch was also located and dated by the Bronze Age pottery found here. The second monument is an oval barrow ditch, Middle Neolithic and dating to around 3500-3000 BC and termed 'Meon Type'. These have a kidney-shaped 'kink' on one side of the monument. We did not expect to find burial remains, as probably these have been ploughed out. Although a number of post holes were found there was no dating evidence. The aims this year were to find evidence of structures and also to obtain dating evidence from the bottom of the ditch and therefore a larger area was opened in order to achieve this.

A series of post holes were discovered together with some amorphous pits, one containing medieval pottery. There also appears to be some later features which were probably cut at a time when the mound was hardly there or perhaps gone. What is more significant are some areas of dark soil which have been cut into sections. Here we found finely made Neolithic blades, early or mid-Neolithic in date.

Three sections were cut out from the middle of the Neolithic oval barrow. The sections had similar stratigraphy however, the end section showed a substantial layer of chalky silt, but only on the inside face. This is a classic example of asymmetric filling and suggests that this is mound material washed back into the ditch. Small pieces of Neolithic pottery and flint were found but nothing to date the bottom of the ditch floor. However, about half way up the ditch, a quantity of Bronze Age pottery, worked flint and animal bones (particularly cattle bone), was unearthed. This would suggest domestic activity dating from around 2000-1200 BC. As Dr Nick Thorpe says: 'This is significant as during the early Bronze Age we know much more about the Bronze Age dead, than we do about the Bronze Age living.' Importantly, these finds show settlement activity.

The ditch also revealed another period of settlement activity in the form of a possible Anglo-Saxon cremation. An area of burnt charcoal about 30 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter contained a couple of dozen pieces of pottery. These have been identified by Dr Nick Stoodley as Anglo-Saxon. The pottery, together with the accompanying burnt material, suggests that this may have been a single cremation.

Background

In July 2018, Professor Tony King, Winchester University undergraduates and MVAHG volunteers returned to the 'Temple site' for a third year of digging. This year's aims were to discover more about the Iron Age and Roman phases in the area of the hexagonal temple and courtyard and further rooms in the bath house. A further site was opened across the road to confirm geophysics conducted by MVAHG. The aim here was to investigate the Bronze Age ring ditch and possible round barrow at one end of the trench, and the Neolithic oval barrow at the other end of the trench.

The Temple Site

Mattocking and trowelling in the interior of the 'hexagon' unearthed large quantities of animal teeth and bones together with Roman pottery, including sherds of fine Samian ware imported from Gaul.

Meanwhile in the Iron Age ditch, further digging was taking place which yielded many large pieces of high status broken pot from around 30-40 AD, just before the Roman conquest.

Significantly during the latter stages of the dig, a large spread of flints revealed a circular area where burning had taken place in the centre of the hexagon. Was this an area of feasting or sacrifice?

On the last day of digging, in the Iron Age phase of the interior of the hexagon, the skeleton of a mare and her newly born foal were discovered. This was a significant find and believed to be an offering to the goddess Epona. This provided further evidence that the site is a shrine associated with fertility.

The Bath House

Over the four weeks, students and volunteers worked hard in the bath house to unveil further rooms and mortar walls. The site slopes towards the course of the old River Meon, which probably explains why this area is not so well-preserved, owing to flood damage over the years. Initially, it was thought that we had a flagstone floor, but this is now revealed to be a concrete floor with ground chalk and lime foundations. As Tony King believes, it is conceivable that there is a sub-floor for a hypocaust and that a suspended floor may have existed at a higher level. The digging also revealed more high-quality painted plaster similar to the finds from Year 2 of the dig.

The Barrow Site

A new site across the road from the 'Temple Site' was excavated by students and MVAHG volunteers investigating an Early Bronze Age Ring ditch (c. 1500 BC) and a Neolithic oval barrow. However, after 4 weeks of digging, unfortunately no evidence of a central grave was found (although it is not always the case that the central grave is right in the centre of a barrow). The grave could have been ploughed out over time or the acidic brown clay found here may have dissolved the bones. Significantly, Bronze Age pottery was discovered about halfway down the ditch. In addition, the ditch was cut by a pit containing Saxon pottery.

A trench across the adjacent Neolithic oval barrow was also excavated. This 'Meon type' oval barrow is assumed to be mid-late Neolithic circa 3500-3000 BC. It was difficult to prove whether the mound had existed here as there was no signs of 'slippage' (unlike that of the Bronze Age barrow). However, the ditch revealed worked flint and Bronze Age pottery.

MVAHG - Excavation sheds new light on rural history in the Meon Valley

'This dig demonstrates that even a time period as well documented as Roman Britain can still be rewritten by new archaeological discoveries. It's a wonderful temple site... and a very unusual hexagonal building.' Professor Alice Roberts, BBC4 Digging for Britain.

The MVAHG/University of Winchester excavation featured in the first episode of series 6 of the prestigious BBC4 programme Digging for Britain, which aired on 22.11.17. The film is edited over the two summers of 2016 and 2017 and shows Meon Valley Archaeology & Heritage Group (MVAHG) community volunteers and Winchester University students working together to discover the history of the site. Alice Roberts set the scene for viewers:

'In AD 43 the Romans arrived. Their battles and building project are well recorded, but when it came to the British countryside they ran out of ink. There has always been a question of how far Roman culture and influence spread into rural Britain. Hampshire's Meon Valley is shedding light on this mystery. In the 1980s Archaeologists digging here discovered a Roman building of such importance that it is now housed in the British Museum. With little to go on except its quality and rural location, it was labelled a villa. A new investigation at the site is leading archaeologists to a radical re-think.'

Dig director, Professor Tony King introduced the project, showing the geophysics from the 2015 survey completed by the Meon Valley Archaeology & Heritage Group. 'Here we have a hexagonal building, one of only four such buildings found in Roman Britain. This has introduced a whole new idea to us that this might be a temple site.' As the topsoil is cleared by volunteers and students, the hexagonal foundations are astonishingly clear to the eye. As Alice Roberts continues, 'If this turns out to be a temple, it would be hugely significant in an isolated location, it would suggest that Roman culture was far more ingrained in the countryside than we'd ever imagined before.'

The footage which follows shows the progress of the dig and the hunt for evidence that the Romans were worshipping here. The first clue is the unearthing of a 4th century House of Constantine coin, which could be a votive offering. Other finds back this up with the discovery of a pit containing vertebrae from a cow and sheep bones, plus deliberately placed round pebbles. This pit suggests some ritualistic purpose and predates the site. As the team extends the trench, a bath house is discovered with painted plaster. This plaster shows traces of opus signinum, a waterproof mortar which was used in Roman bath house.
As Alice Roberts says:

'The Discovery of the bath house next to the temple makes the villa interpretation look increasingly shaky. Tony now believes that it's much more likely that this was a sprawling complex of religious buildings.'

The finding of further votive offerings, such as the discovery of part of a Dea Nutrix figurine, leads Professor King to believe that this is a temple site which could have acted as a regional religious centre with people coming here for processions and festivals.

In the studio Alice Roberts asks Tony King about these findings. 'We have 3 buildings: a large aisled building, a bath house and what we're pretty sure is a hexagonal shrine. There are only four of these in Roman Britain.

Tony King shows Alice Roberts some plaster which comes from the changing room of the bath house. 'We've got what we think is a naked female figure', he says. Bringing out a lamp to closer examine the plaster, Alice laughs and says, 'Yes I think you might be right. We've got a naked female figure. That is a pair of breasts I believe!'

He comments that bath houses are associated with temple sites. 'Temple sites sometimes have quite a lot of other buildings next to them, which could be a hostel for pilgrims or visitors.'

He continues: 'In the 1980s we discovered the villa and thought "right we've got a villa". It had a lot of elaboration to the architecture. We can maybe account for this now by saying it is a building that is associated with a temple site.'

Tony King explains further that the temple building itself is the house for the god or goddess, which would have had some sort of image such as a statue in it. 'This is not a place for congregational worship. Most of the activity probably went on outside the building and that is why we find things like the pit with the pottery and bones and so on in it.' He shows Alice the spherical balls which came from within the hexagon, 'they're flints, probably fossil sponges.' This reiterates the idea that people are bringing small offerings and small coins to the site.

'Isn't that lovely - the icing on the cake!' Alice exclaims when Tony shows her the Dea Nutrix (nourishing mother goddess) found within the hexagon area. This is the back of a head and headdress of a figurine made from clay. These figurines were imported from central France and people bought these to dedicate at temple sites, often deliberately breaking off the head.

Finally Alice asks, 'Do you think this gives us an idea that Roman culture and Roman ideas about religion are perhaps permeating into the British countryside more than we'd imagined?'

'Hexagons are not found in Iron Age Britain' Tony replies. 'So this is a new idea that deities were worshipped on the site probably going right back to the Iron Age. The people who come to this site are probably local people.'

'I rather like that about the Romans.' comments Alice. 'They don't clear the original gods and goddesses out of the landscape, they work with them.'

'Yes' affirms Tony. 'The Romans integrated with the locals. It is a form of imperialism. They are taking over the local gods and calling them their own.'

Alice concludes: 'It's a wonderful temple site... and a very unusual hexagonal building. This dig demonstrates that even a time period as well documented as Roman Britain can still be rewritten by new archaeological discoveries'

Postscript:

A year later in November 2018, the CBA Wessex held their 60th Anniversary Conference with over 400 people attending 'Dawn...from our earliest ancestors to the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic' at the University of Southampton.

Professor Alice Roberts was a key speaker and also signed copies of her latest book 'Tamed: 10 Species That Changed Our World'.

We set up the MVAHG display laying out various reports, photo albums and objects of interest as well as running two laptops showing drone footage and photos from years 1 and 2 of the dig. Our stand was next to Alice Roberts' book signing desk and having sold out of her books, she kindly signed one of our photo albums of the dig. Alice was delighted to hear that further progress at the site had been made in Year 3 of the dig. This had revealed an Iron Age phase beneath the Roman phase: the skeleton of a Mare and her newly born foal in the centre of the hexagon, believed to be a sacrifice. Alice was very interested in filming a follow-up to the piece featured in Series 6 episode 1. Sadly, this didn't happen and the site was closed down in September 2020 after the fifth and final year of digging.

Background

In July 2017, Professor Tony King, Winchester University undergraduates, and MVAHG volunteers returned to the site for a second year of digging. During the four weeks of excavation, significant finds were made.

Following the removal of the turf by the mechanical digger, the volunteers and students worked hard in soaring temperatures to remove more topsoil using mattocks. A large amount of soil was removed with many tesserae and CBM (ceramic building material) being unearthed. Our first significant find was a fourth century house of Constantine Roman coin with the goddess Victory holding a wreath.

In the centre of the hexagon, there was excitement when one of our volunteers found part of a figurine, which was identified by Tony King as a second century dea nutrix figurine (nursing goddess). This had been deliberately broken and sacrificed, enhancing the view that the hexagon foundations were indeed a shrine.

During week 3 more animal bones and pottery including parts of a flagon were found. Significantly, a ditch was discovered running east-west and probably going under the hexagon. Here, an almost complete Late Iron Age/Early Roman pot was unearthed. Additionally, a bronze ring with two twisted terminals, thought to be first century, was found in this ditch. Another ditch running parallel to this contained large cattle bones and pieces of tempered grog wear of Late Iron Age origin.

In the bath house there was frenetic activity during the final days of the dig to remove the huge quantity of painted plaster from room 1. The plaster was of high quality and depicted a mythological scene. On the last day, the plain tiled floor was uncovered together with quarter-round moulding which acted as a waterproof seal between the wall and the floor. The floor was made up of plain brick blocks (known as hypocaust tiles, but effectively this was a cold room with no heating). Also revealed was part of an apsidal ended room.

The first two years of the dig were featured in the BBC's 'Digging for Britain' programme in series 6, episode 1 which first aired on 22 November 2017.

Credits:
Aerial photos courtesy of Ian Harris.
All other photos Alison Smalley (MVAHG)

In 2015 the Meon Valley Archaeology & Heritage Group (MVAHG) carried out a geophysical survey at a site in Exton revealing a hexagonal shaped anomaly. The site lay across the road from the well-known Roman Aisled building at Meonstoke which had been excavated during the 1980s; the facade of which is now in the British Museum. Hexagons are rare in Roman Britain with only three other examples found in the country; in Colleyweston Great Wood (Rutland), Abbots Ann (North Hampshire) and a site close to Canterbury in Kent. The importance of the hexagon revealed through geophysics led to a collaboration between The University of Winchester and MVAHG and an excavation under the directorship of Professor Tony King.

During three weeks of June 2016, 85 MVAHG community volunteers dug alongside undergraduate archaeology students of the University of Winchester. The foundations of a Roman Hexagon and part of a bath house were discovered, confirming the results of the MVAHG geophysics.

This exciting discovery posed more questions about the Roman Aisled building. Was it a Villa or a hostelry for pilgrims? More would be revealed in subsequent years of excavations.

Below is our story of discovery of the Exton Dig, Year 1, in pictures and videos.

Aerial Photos of the site

Please find below aerial photos we took looking over the Roman Temple site.

You get a true view of the Temple site and the Roman Villa site that would have been located to right of the site on the opposite side of the road.

Interviews & videos from The Big Dig, Exton 2016

Interview with David Hopkins,County Archaeologist.

Interview with Marjoleine Butler,Trustee at the Council for British Archaeology (National & Wessex)