No place like Rome

Jayne Lawes and the Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society have been carrying out excavations at a site called 'Blacklands' in Somerset since 1999.

The site is close to the major religious centre at Aquae Sulis (Bath) and has produced rare and tantalising results that indicate a very early Roman presence in an area not traditionally associated with villas until much later. A 'proto-villa', potentially from as early as 70 AD, and a gatehouse had already been excavated, producing early pottery and military finds.

Time Team was called in to investigate more of the site and discover what was going on here in the early years of Roman occupation and to try to find out how the local Iron-Age population might have welcomed their new neighbours.

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