Roman column dig discovery 'tip of the iceberg'

A section of a Roman column unearthed during an archaeological dig is just "the tip of the iceberg" of what could lie below the ground.

The column was found by volunteers digging at the cricket club in Carlisle, where carved Roman heads, a rare dye and carved gemstones were previously recovered.

"It's got everyone excited, it gives an idea of the grandeur of this building - it's a beautiful object," said Frank Giecco, site director from Uncovering Roman Carlisle.

Mr Giecco said the group believed the site to have been a "ritual area", but it was not sure about its exact nature.

The dig had only just returned to the cricket club for the summer and the column was found in its second week.

"It's early days - this is just the tip of the iceberg," Mr Giecco said.

"The people finding these things, it can make their year just to pull something out of the ground."

The section of sandstone column is about 24 inches (60cm) long and 16 inches (40 cm) in diameter.

Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria's Mike Zeller At Breakfast, Mr Giecco said: "It's got everyone excited, it gives an idea of the grandeur of this building - it's a beautiful object."

Volunteers also found a selection of bone objects such as a hairpin, spoon and a gaming set, believed to be about 1,800 years old.

The gaming set is made of pieces about the size of a penny, belonging to a game similar to draughts, and has a carving with the name of the owner.

Mr Giecco said: "It would have been his set of gaming counters and we've got six of these pieces from he site all found together.

"You can't get any more personal than an object that actually had the owner's name scratched on to it."

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