A series of three talks at Reading Museum & Town Hall, by Professor Michael Fulford CBE, FBA, FSA, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading. Professor Fulford specialises in the British Iron Age, Roman Britain and landscape archaeology.
Reading Museum, with support from the Friends of Reading Museum, have organised the talks to raise funds for the redevelopment of the Silchester Roman Gallery.
Talk 1: The Origins of Roman Silchester
When the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43 they found at Silchester a very large and thriving community – Calleva. It had economic and political reach stretching from the south of Britain to the Mediterranean. We will explore Calleva and what we have learned of the lives of its inhabitants from its origins at the end of the 1st century BC up to the time of the Roman conquest.
The Historic Ridgeway Project is a three year project beginning in September 2023, to look at the condition of the archaeological monuments in the central section of the route in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire between the Wiltshire border to the west and Nuffield, near Wallingford, to the east.
The project is working with key partners and stakeholders to improve the management of those sites by working with volunteers, and seeking grant funding for management works. The project is also looking to improve interpretation of sites along the route and take advantage of opportunities for education and learning. We, hope through our work, to improve inclusion and diversity in our volunteer tasks, well-being and educational activities along the Ridgeway, which probably represents one of the biggest areas of public open space in Oxfordshire.
