This May, something very exciting is happening at Epiacum.

Following extensive geophysical surveys, an archaeological excavation will be taking place at the site between 18th – 30th May 2026, investigating what may prove to be a fascinating multi-period landscape hidden beneath the North Pennines turf.

The excavation will be led by a professional team of archaeologists, supported by an outstanding group of volunteers helping to uncover the next chapter in Epiacum’s story.

Visitors are very welcome to come along and see the dig in progress. Each afternoon between 3pm and 4pm, one of the archaeologists will be available for an informal “Ask an Archaeologist” session — an opportunity to find out what has been discovered, ask questions about the excavation process, and learn more about the history of the site.

The dig can be reached by following the Ancient Routes trail up towards Wellhouse Bastle, with signposts directing visitors to the excavation area. Please remember that this is an active archaeological site, so visitors are asked to remain behind any taped-off areas. Sturdy footwear is strongly recommended — the North Pennines weather has a habit of making things muddy!

Please also note that there will be no digging on Sunday 24th May, as the team take a well-earned rest day.

We are looking forward to sharing updates, discoveries, photographs, and behind-the-scenes glimpses from the excavation throughout the fortnight here on Patreon.

#Epiacum #Archaeology #NorthPennines #RomanBritain #CommunityArchaeology #DigDiary

The charity has taken the decision to use Patreon to both host our normal news content, and to act as a platform for our Friends of Epiacum.

Using Patreon will reduce the amount of admin we need to perform to support our Friends, plus will automate the collection of subscriptions.

Patreon has three tiers, at least in the way we intend to use it. The content published as ‘Public’ will be available to anyone who wishes to view it, regardless of whether they have joined Patreon or not. At this level we will be including general outreach content that promotes the Roman fort and its environs. You can also join for free, at this level you’ll likely see a little bit more detail, essentially it’s the same as liking or following our Patreon page. Finally, (and we obviously encourage you to do this), you can become a paid subscriber. Here you will get to see everything we publish on Patreon.

The cost of this subscription is £1 + VAT per month (in the UK). If you’re joining from another country you may have a different level of sales tax to pay. This is not a choice of Epiacum Heritage, it’s part of how Patreon works. They collect the tax and pay the respective governments in the relevant countries.

Please remember Epiacum Heritage is run by volunteers (including the Trustees). No one is paid for work they undertake for the Charity. All subscriptions contribute towards our operational running costs to keep the site open.

Please be aware when you sign up for Patreon (needed before you can subscribe to Epiacum Heritage), you will have the option to set your default currency. This is what will be used to pay any Patreon creator you wish to subscribe to. It’s worth noting since we’ve seen subscribers in the UK ending up paying in the equivalent amount in US dollars. If you fall into this category, simply edit your membership of Epiacum Heritage and change the currency to the one you wish to pay in.

Finally, all existing news content on our blog will remain, but new content will get published on Patreon.

To sign up to Epiacum Heritage as Friend, please visit https://patreon.com/epiacumheritage

Epiacum Heritage is happy to announce that specialists have now completed their analysis of all the finds from the Molehill Project. They looked at the material from the 2011-15 and 2023 seasons, producing reports and a catalogue. All will be made available next year, but we couldn’t resist sharing some of their conclusions now.

The assemblage is predominantly Roman and typical for a military site in the north. The pottery is largely of a third century AD date, though some of the Samian could possibly be from the late second century. Importantly, the pottery indicates that the occupation of the fort continued into the fourth century, including after AD 360. Two of the three coins were of second century date, but were so heavily worn that they may have been discarded as late as the early third century. The other coin can be dated to AD 270-90. Notable discoveries included the fragment of a rare mosaic glass vessel, the piece of an expensive third century military enamelled belt mount, a very rare key-handle in the shape of a dolphin head, and at least 4 glass and 2 jet beads from necklaces and bracelets worn by women.

Much more could be said, but we wouldn’t want to give too much away at this stage. Distribution maps of the different types of artefacts are currently being produced, and these will appear early next year in a full report. A publication for a major international journal is also being written. We would like to thank all the specialists- Alex Croom, Felicity Wild, James Gerrard, and Lindsay Allason-Jones for all their expert knowledge and hardwork. This research was made possible by the AONB who kindly funded it with a Farming in Protected Landscape Grant.