Have archaeological finds identified

Published: 7 July 2022

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To celebrate the National Festival of Archaeology, Newport Roman Villa will be hosting a free archaeology day on Saturday 16 July.

This includes free admission to Newport Roman Villa for visitors to enjoy the Roman remains, as well as family fun activities.

The event has been organised by the Isle of Wight Heritage Service and takes place between 10.30am until 2.30pm, with no advanced booking needed — just turn up.

Lewis Ferrero, the Isle of Wight Council's finds liaison officer who works in partnership with the British Museum, will be on site to identify any archaeological finds you may have.

Island heritage service’s curator of human history, Corina Westwood, said: “If you have found an artefact in your garden or on the beach, bring it along.

"Lewis will be able to help identify it for you. Any significant finds or treasure may even get recorded on the website and database of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

“We also have lots of other family fun activities to try out, including a photo trail, a mini sand dig and other hands-on activities – there’s lots to keep the family entertained and it’s all for free.”

There will be plenty of activities throughout the day for families to explore their archaeology skills - have a go at a sand tray excavation to identify any Roman artefacts discovered. There will be a photo hunt around the site which will include some of the latest archaeological discoveries on the Island.

You can find the Roman Villa in Cypress Road, Newport, just a short walk from the town centre. Please note, the site is only partially accessible to wheelchair users.

For more information about museum services call (01983) 823433, email: museums@iow.gov.uk or visit: www.iow.gov.uk/museums

The Festival of Archaeology runs from the 16 – 31 July and is organised by the Council for British Archaeology. For more information, please visit: www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html

Information about the Portable Antiquities Scheme can be found at: https://finds.org.uk/