The popular Culver Archaeological Project has celebrated its 21 years of investigations into the Roman heritage of Barcombe and Ringmer by becoming a registered charity (no. 1212865). The project has carried out research for every year since its founding in 2005 and undertaken excavations every year except 2020 when covid restrictions made volunteer and student participation impractical.

Having discovered a Roman road on the west bank of the Ouse at Culver Farm, Barcombe in 2005, they subsequently discovered a Roman ‘defended’ settlement on the east bank at Bridge Farm in 2011.

This summer season, starting this month on May 26th for 6 weeks, sees the project undertaking their 8th trench at Bridge Farm with the continuation of their policy of offering the chance to take part in an archaeological excavation on a regionally important site at a modest fee.

The annual excavation is partially funded by running an undergraduate field school for Canterbury Christ Church University (also open to individuals) but also depends on the fees from volunteers and donations to break even as costs inevitably rise. It is hoped that the new charity status will enhance the project’s ability to raise the funds necessary to continue the annual excavation and commission the expensive specialist post-excavation analysis of the vast assemblage of Roman artefacts that the Bridge Farm site provides.

The housing of this increasing assemblage and the necessity of providing lecture hall/ finds processing space has meant that the charity has had to take on a small industrial unit at Bridge Farm, adding to the annual outgoings.

But the fact that the works are mainly undertaken by volunteers and students does not detract from the standards required for the investigation of this regionally important site with a strict recording regime that allows regular reporting and production of academic papers from the results.

The specialist analysis is especially crucial on the finds-rich site to facilitate the interpretation of the activities undertaken on the site in the first half of the first millennium AD when southern Britain was under Roman rule.

Anyone either, interested in joining the excavation, to dig or process finds, or wishing to donate, can find more details on the project’s website, www.culverproject.co.uk .

Sussex archaeology project gains registered charity status