John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, last week visited the Digging Deeper, Uncovering Roman Carlisle exhibition at Tullie Museum, Art Gallery and Community Hub.

Tullie has a wide range of first class collections, and none more so than the current Digging Deeper exhibition of artefacts uncovered as part of archaeological excavations at Carlisle Cricket Club.

Commenting John said: “Carlisle has a rich history as the only city on the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Thanks to archaeologists, volunteers and the wonderful staff at Tullie, we can now see for ourselves the amazing objects that help us to understand our city’s past.

“The huge Roman heads, unearthed earlier this year, have been termed the find of a lifetime and they are a significant sight to behold. I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge of the Tullie staff, archaeologists and volunteers.

“The exhibition has been extended to December 23, so if you’re interested in something truly amazing, or looking for an alternative to Christmas shopping, do go along and see for yourself.”

This visit comes on the back of the ongoing community excavation and exhibition project of Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse, Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC), winning three prestigious national awards.

The awards from the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Society for Museum Archaeology.

URC was nominated by the Council for British Archaeology, Archaeological Achievement Awards in two categories, winning both.

The winning awards were:

• Public Dissemination or Presentation (sponsored by the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland). With another Hadrian’s Wall project Highly commended: WallCAP – Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project.
• Learning, Training, and Skills (sponsored by Archaeological Management Solutions – AMS).

Additionally, URC has won the Society for Museum Archaeology Engagement Project of the Year award.

With the project’s many positive community outcomes recognised by a national award.

One judge commented that: “This project clearly demonstrates the benefits of engaging volunteers with archaeological excavation and museum based post-ex.

“It is a clear model for how to utilise such archaeological and museum resources to carefully engage with the local, and often hard to reach, communities, and instil elements of pride in local heritage.”

The Uncovering Roman Carlisle is an ongoing programme of community archaeological investigation, exhibitions, and engagement exploring Carlisle’s Roman remains. 

The project is delivered by a partnership of Cumberland Council, Carlisle Cricket Club, Tullie, and Wardell Armstrong Archaeology.

Anna Smalley, Head of Collections and Engagement said: “We’re so proud that Uncovering Roman Carlisle is getting the recognition it deserves at a national level – it’s been a project that has had so many impacts across the community in terms of supporting wellbeing, skills development and fostering a real sense of pride in Carlisle’s history.

“Both the exhibition and tour in 2022 at Tullie and the follow up show – Digging Deeper – have been incredibly popular with our visitors and we’re excited to continue being part of this fantastic project as it progresses.”

It showcases the “once in a lifetime” recent internationally significant finds from Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse – including the two huge carved Roman heads, a large collection of carved Roman gemstones, and other finds illustrating Roman life in Carlisle.

The summer phase of excavations in 2023 involved 373 volunteers, with more than 2,000 significant finds, and more than 1,678 volunteer days given by volunteers since 2021. 

More than 6,000 people visited the site, including 625 trips from local schools so far in 2023.

This high-profile dig, which featured in Channel 4/National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of Rome and is set to be part of the programme Digging for Britain, has captured attention worldwide with the number and quality of discoveries.