KAS secures grant for key Roman project in North Yorkshire

I am thrilled to announce that our Society has successfully secured a grant of £40,000 for the groundbreaking archaeological project titled "Silence of the Sentinels: The Violent End of Roman Britain's Coastal Defences c. 400 AD" in North Yorkshire. This achievement underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge in this field and showcases our expertise. We are eager to collaborate with Dr Patrick Nash on this pivotal endeavour, with generous funding provided by the Pharos Foundation.

Dr Nash has chosen to partner with our Society due to our proven track record in fieldwork management, expertise in Romano-British archaeology and history, and extensive experience in media production. Furthermore, this project has the exciting potential to be broadcast as a television documentary.

The North Yorkshire coast boasts five Romano-British watchtower sites, stretching from Huntcliffe in the north to Filey in the south. In the early 20th century, fourteen skeletons were discovered at two of these sites (Huntcliffe and Goldsborough), believed to be victims of violence from the late 4th or early 5th century. These skeletons are currently housed in the Natural History Museum. While the identities of these individuals – whether Romano-British or invading Picts or Saxons – remain uncertain, our Society has been entrusted with the critical task of conducting forensic investigations to extract DNA and isotope data, as well as perform trauma analysis, enabling us to identify these individuals.

Filey, North Yorkshire.

Additionally, we will conduct geophysical surveys at three key sites (Hawsker, Ravenscar, and Goldsborough) to accurately identify the locations and layout of the watchtowers and uncover any associated buildings and pathways that may have previously gone unnoticed. The findings from these surveys will inform us of the most effective locations for evaluation trenches, allowing us to corroborate the forensic data obtained from the skeletons and deepen our understanding of life at these watchtowers.

Ravenscar, North Yorkshire.

Once we have gathered and analysed all the relevant information and data, we look forward to publishing interim articles and a comprehensive final report that will significantly enhance our understanding of this fascinating period of our history. We will also regularly update our website and social media channels, keeping everyone informed about our progress.

All the best,
Richard