8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists are deciphering Roman history along Dere Street, one of the oldest roadways in Britain

Final archaeological finds uncovered as part of a major road improvement in the north of England have shed new insight into the region’s Roman past.

The last study, which focuses on Cataractonium – a Roman fort and town that has since evolved into Catterick, North Yorkshire – documents findings made as part of Highways England’s £400 million A1 Leeming to Barton improvement.

More than 62,000 objects, including 2.8 tonnes of animal bone and 2.5 tonnes of pottery, were discovered from the settlement, providing unique insights into the civilian and military populations.

Many unusual and exotic objects were discovered, including the oldest pistachio nut ever discovered in Britain, incense burners, ivory bracelets, and a carnelian intaglio showing Hercules and the lion that would have been put into a finger-ring.

Other discoveries include a carved phallus on a reused bridge stone, a brooch depicting a hare, and an Anglo-Saxon dog burial.

The excavation of a late 1st-century well at Fort Bridge produced a plethora of well-preserved organic findings, including the oldest pistachio nut known in Britain.

Intaglio found at Cataractonium.
Intaglio found at Cataractonium. Photo: Highways England

The staff of the Northern Archaeological Association (NAA) spent more than three years investigating the remains exposed during construction, revealing not only previously known Roman sites, but also unknown sites, such as the road to Scurragh House The settlement of Bian, 3.5 kilometers north of the cataract, together with the remains of its agricultural hinterland, as well as the country’s important Roman contact period site in the Cape of Scotland.

The discoveries at Cataractonium reflect the civilian and military components of the settlement. The analysis of these items, as well as the sediments from where they were found, has been utilized to explain the tale of this significant location, which was most certainly held by Romans from the AD70s until the late 4th or early 5th century.

The excavation discoveries are currently housed at the Yorkshire Museum in York, where they will be preserved, presented where appropriate, and made available for future research and learning.

The excavation of a late 1st-century well at Fort Bridge yielded a wealth of well-preserved organic finds, including the earliest pistachio nut known in Britain.
The excavation of a late 1st-century well at Fort Bridge yielded a wealth of well-preserved organic finds, including the earliest pistachio nut known in Britain. Photo: Highways England

Dr. Jonathan Shipley, AECOM Principal Heritage Consultant, in a press release said:

“The archaeological works undertaken at Cataractonium represent some of the most significant excavations undertaken of a Roman town and have hugely increased our understanding of the development of the site.”

“The remains also tell the story of the people who lived in and around the town that developed alongside the Roman fort and represent a wonderful link with the modern-day settlement that has developed because of the military camp at Catterick.”

“The works have also added to our understanding of the Roman road known as Dere Street, which the A1 follows in this area, with evidence of Roman improvements to the road network mirroring the current commitments of Highways England to improve this key piece of infrastructure.”

Cataractonium, about 100 miles distant, has a long history of archaeological study, garnering major attention throughout the twentieth century when the A1 was initially built through the Roman town.

Archaeologists from around the country are urging volunteers to help at future digs, as part of the Council for British Archaeology’s (CBA) annual Festival of Archaeology (17 July-1 August).

Throughout the summer, archaeologists piecing together the history of Hull’s Trinity Burial Ground, as part of the Highways England’s £355m A63 Castle Street major project, have been holding successful virtual webinars and keeping the public informed on a regular basis through a dedicated webpage.

The digital book Cataractonium, and other volumes associated with the A1 Leeming to Barton excavations, are available without charge from the Archaeology Data Service.

Related Articles

Medieval Hub of Arts & Crafts Center discovered in Nola: The discovery could rewrite the history of early medieval Nola

23 August 2023

23 August 2023

On the outskirts of Nola, a district from the early Middle Ages has been discovered. According to the Soprintendenza Archeologia,...

The Longest Greek Papyrus from the Judean Desert Sheds Light on a Pivotal Roman Court Case

31 January 2025

31 January 2025

New research by a group of Austrian and Israeli scholars has finally deciphered a 1,900-year-old scroll describing a tense court...

Marmore, the Highest and Oldest Artificial Waterfall in Europe, Created by the Romans

4 March 2024

4 March 2024

Approximately eight kilometers away from the town of Terni in Umbria, Italy, there is a waterfall that is one of...

2,200-year-old Greek sling bullet may have been used against Jews

9 December 2022

9 December 2022

A 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet was discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the central Israeli city of Yavne,...

Archaeologists find an Anglo-Saxon church at Stoke Mandeville excavation site

13 September 2021

13 September 2021

Archaeologists working on the HS2 project found the remains of an Anglo-Saxon church during their excavations at the former St...

New documentary searches history of Turkey’s 7,000-year-old Arslantepe Mound

28 December 2021

28 December 2021

The tale of Turkey’s fascinating 7,000-year-old Arslantepe Mound, an ancient building in Malatya, eastern Turkey that was just added to...

Hundreds of oil lamps discovered in Aigai, “the City of Goats”

23 September 2023

23 September 2023

During the ongoing excavations in the Aigai Ancient City, located near the Yuntdağı Köseler Village of Manisa province in western...

An 1800-year-old inscription was discovered in Hadrianaupolis indicating the existence of the Asclepius cult

5 September 2022

5 September 2022

An inscription pointing to the existence of the cult of Asclepius was found in the ancient city of Hadrianaupolis, which...

Papal bull discovered in a former cemetery dated to the 14th century

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

A medieval bull found in 2021 in Budzistów village (Kołobrzeg district), Poland has been restored and placed on display in...

New Research Uncovers Earliest Evidence of Humans in Rainforests, Pushing Timeline Back 150,000 Years

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

The rainforests, as important biomes on earth, were considered uninhabited until recent history. New findings now show that humans lived...

9th-Century Slave-Built Large-Scale Agricultural System Discovered in Southern Iraq

3 June 2025

3 June 2025

A recent archaeological study has unveiled compelling evidence of a vast agricultural infrastructure in southern Iraq, believed to have been...

Croatian Team Finds a Way to Effectively and Permanently Preserve Stuka Aircraft Wreck Under the Sea

11 December 2024

11 December 2024

 The ICUA Zadar team of conservators and archaeologists carried out in situ underwater conservation of the wreckage of the Junkers...

8,500-year-old buildings discovered on Abu Dhabi’s Ghagha island

17 February 2022

17 February 2022

Archaeologists in Abu Dhabi have discovered startling new evidence of the Emirates’ first known structures, which date back more than...

Scientists have discovered an ancient cemetery of flying reptiles roaming the Atacama desert of Chile 100 million years ago

7 April 2022

7 April 2022

In Chile, an unusual cemetery has been discovered that contains the well-preserved remains of prehistoric flying reptiles that flew over...

A burial complex and an Ancient Dog Statue have been unearthed during excavations in Appio Latino quarter the Rome

8 January 2022

8 January 2022

Workers laying pipes for utility company Acea at Via Luigi Tosti in Rome’s Appio Latino quarter have unearthed an ancient...