Roman Studies Group

Anne Sassin will be talking to us about a series of excavations at Old Park, Farnham. The site was first idetified by John Hampton in 1969 on aerial photography and geophysics revealed a number of likely Late Iron Age/Roman enclosure ditches. Anne wil enlighten us to what has been found during excavation of this rural site. Interim reports can be found at:

 /sites/default/files/SAS%20Bulletin%20482.pdf

Emma Corke, director of the Cocks Farm Abinger project will update us on the excavations that took place in 2021 in an area of Roman agricultural activity. You will find past interim reports from the site at /content/excavations-at-cocks-farm-roman-villa-abinger-2009-present-interim-reports

A presentation by Lyn Spencer will provide a focus for a discussion on slavery in Roman Britain. Some of the questions that may arise include: evidence for slavery , how people became slaves and how they escaped slavery, differences in Iron Age and Roman slavery, roles allocated to slaves and how slavery was viewed in Roman society. Do come along with something to contribute to the discussion.

Members only event

Alan Hall, a founder member of RSG, is re-joining us from Oxfordshire where he has directed the excavation of a Romano-British building complex at High Wood in the Chiltern Hills.  Before finalising his report on this site, he offers his presentation in the expectation that his interpretation of the site will be enhanced by the input and discussion between other members of RSG.

 Members only event

The “Shining a Light” conference on Saturday 8^th May is sure to generate plenty of thoughts, questions and discussions about the transition from Late Iron Age to Roman Britain so please join us on Tuesday to informally exchange more ideas and questions etc on this topic.

Simon Maslin is the Finds Liaison Officer for Surrey and East Hampshire. He has agreed to talk to us about a hoard of 28 Republican and early Imperial Denarii found recently in Surrey.

At the time of posting it is planned to hold this talk by Zoom and RSG members will be sent the Zoom link by e-mail the week before. 

The village of Aldborough near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire is the site of Isurium Brigantum, once one of the most important towns in Roman Britain and the ‘capital’ of the Romanised Brigantes, the largest tribe in Britain at that time. 

The RSG AGM will take place by Zoom and the link will be sent out to members a week in advance. Following the AGM we are pleased to be welcoming Karen Jeneson from the Netherlands, to talk to us about Roman activity in and around the town of Heerlen.

Following the great success of the 2018 conference on the transition from Roman to Saxon in the South-East, the Roman Studies Group is arranging another such event, this time focusing on the end of the Iron Age and the start of Roman Britain in our area.

This event was originally due to be held in May 2020 but was cancelled due to the Corona virus pandemic.

Anne Sassin-Allen, Surrey Archaeological Society's Projects Outreach Officer and Community Archaeologist for the Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme, will update us on one of her latest projects. A dig over several seasons at Lullingstone villa looked at an area not previously excavated and adds to the fascinating story of the site.

Currently it is intended to allow access to this and other RSG Zoom meetings to RSG members only. As a member you will receive a Zoom link by e-mail a week before the meeting.