Volunteers needed to wash Roman settlement finds
Durham UniversityArchaeologists excavating at a Roman settlement next month are looking for people to volunteer to wash finds.
Durham University is returning to East Park in Sedgefield to continue exploring one of north-east England's most important Roman sites.
From 8 June until 26 June, archaeologists and students will be digging and the research on the finds is scheduled to take place until 2030.
Sedgefield county councillor Chris Lines said fencing had gone up in the park ahead of the "exciting project", which will explore more of the "very long and very rich history of Sedgefield".
East Park is the site of a Roman roadside civilian settlement which developed alongside Cade's Road, the main Roman route running through the North East.
No previous experience is needed to volunteer at the site and there will be a site induction, a health and safety briefing, and training in basic post‑excavation techniques.
There are spaces for up to eight local volunteers every day to wash and process finds.
The site was first identified through aerial photography and metal‑detector finds, subsequent excavations revealed a complex settlement occupied between the 2nd and 4th Centuries AD.
Durham's archaeology department previously uncovered timber buildings, ovens, pottery kilns and enclosure systems.
"The Department of Archaeology's 2026 excavation will focus on the heart of the settlement, opening new trenches on either side of the Roman road to explore homes, industrial areas, and enclosures in greater detail," a spokesperson said.
"Alongside excavation, the project will also bring together and analyse finds from earlier digs to help to build a much fuller picture of daily life at East Park."
Guided tours will be conducted around the site from 10 June until 26 June.
