BAS2025_P01
This project aims to inform the residents of Wickham of the archaeology and history of the place where they live through direct participation in archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation analysis, and participation in site tours and lectures. This project also aims to provide BAS volunteers with hands on experience and training to develop the archaeological capacity within BAS Society to engage with communities across the wider Berkshire area.
Past analysis of Wickham’s material culture assemblage and extensive geophysics surveys undertake by BAS suggest it was the location of a Roman period settlement at the intersection of two Roman roads. The focus of this settlement later ‘shifted’ northwards during the Medieval period to the location of the village centre. Evidence suggests continuous occupation at Wickham from prehistory to the present day.
This excavation focuses on the ‘building #2’ geophysics anomaly to the east of Wickham House, interpreted as a sizeable multi-roomed rectilinear building adjacent to (and aligned with) the Roman road Ermin Street. The evaluation excavation of building #2 aims to reveal diagnostic evidence to confirm the building’s morphology, function, chronology and the identities of its past occupants that can be used to further enhance the historic character of Wickham House.
Update on 2025 season
This season of excavation ran from April through to the end of June 2025 with 83 individuals participating as volunteers from BAS, other local societies and local residents. In total 8 trenches were opened, 148 context identified and 3 (possibly 4) buildings discovered with this previously unresearched Roman roadside settlement and the later Medieval settlement built on top of it.
Memories of this seasons’ BAS excavations at Wickham House may already be starting to fade – but post-excavation analysis (Post-Ex) activities are already ramping up! All of the finds discovered have now been washed, and are currently being sorted into material type categories (e.g. pottery, ceramic building material, iron objects, animal bone etc) ready for post excavation analysis of each assemblage.
The Post-Ex analysis phase of the project will be mobilised at a zoom call to be held at 7:00pm on Thursday 14th August where a short update of the discoveries made during the Apr-Jun 2025 excavation will be followed by details of the initial Post-Ex work packages that will be getting started in the coming weeks, such as:
- Pottery analysis
- Iron object analysis
- Ceramic Building Material analysis
There will also be a wide range of other Post-Ex projects mobilising in the months ahead- all of which require no previous experience or specialist knowledge, and training will be provided to get you started. Artefact assemblages range from Roman/Medieval pottery, metal objects to analysis of environmental soil samples – so you are free to choose any/all areas that are of interest to you!
You can sign up for the zoom call on 14th August via the following link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/berkshire-archaeological-society/, or volunteer for Post-Ex activities directly by sending an email to keefandtrace(at)hotmail.com expressing any particular areas of interest/experience you may have.
The first milestone for Post-Ex analysis will be the presentation of a summary of discoveries made and interim interpretation from this season’s excavation at Wickham House to be presented at the BAS Day School on 11th October 2025 in Newbury, details of which can be found on the BAS website.
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