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.