I see the big summer event has been announced!

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/B/bigromandig/index.html

Oh Dear God!!

I foresee another shambles along the lines of the Big Dig

Ooo er, missis! And things were just getting quiet on Britarch too. Looks like fun, but will it work?

Nothing like the whiff of TT to get Britarch going!

I hope the project is a huge success. Not very sporting to write off before it's even got going

Makes perfect sense to me. TT has clearly refined the idea of the Big Dig, taking on board the various criticisms.

A focus on a specific period makes a clearer objective for a research project. And participation by groups is easier to monitor. The results should also be easier to present to viewers in a coherent way.

.... plus there seems to be an effort to demonstrate that archaeology is not just about digging holes!

...... and not just about archaeologists.

quote:

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Originally posted by Beeper:
Nothing like the whiff of TT to get Britarch going!

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It's started already, with Co bravely fighting in the TT corner!

Bit odd. Rob is saying over there that the link to the nominate-a-site form is dead. The form appears for me. Some temporary hitch maybe?

It was good for me

It has been mentioned, that we have yet to see the results of the first Big Dig.

At first glance, it appears to be on a smaller scale than the original big dig, which hopefully will lead to it being better organised.

The link to the form is fine, it's the link when you try and submit it that is broken. I have just wasted 1/2 typing mine to lose it all!

I have now sent a stroppy email, not that it will make much difference as we know they take weeks to read them...off to whinge to Splatty..should get it fixed quicker!

With the emphasis on groups / societies etc getting involved in different ways, wouldn't it be good if all the TTFF regions organised something in their areas?

I'm tempted to put it to the Silurians, does anyone else think it would be a good idea? After all, along with the Trench One readers, we are propbably the most organised TT-Types in the land!

Yep, I think it is a good idea. Don't try and nominate anything yet though till the link has been fixed!

Part of my suggestion was using a Roman trading route to bring the story together. I live in the middle (roughly) of the Icknield way, which was a trading route before and after the Roman period, with possibly a settlement in my village where another Roman road splits off the Icknield way. (coins/pottery etc have been found near by in a well) I did put forward that it would be a good story to look at a site at the north and the south end, so there would be a story line along the road, using different periods/types of settlement whilst keeping the continuity of the Roman road to pull it together.

Anyone in the NEFF have a suitable site at the north end..fort maybe? And anyone in the Wessex area (not sure which TTFF) maybe have a villa?

Ideal (but highly unlikely) wish list...Villa in the south, trading settlement in the middle and fort in the north, all from different roman time Periods! Ok I know i'm asking a little much but I do think it would help pull together a good story of Roman Britain and maybe answer/or create a few good questions.

Anyone else think it is a good idea/suggestion?

Sniffy - the nomination link works fine for me:

Roman Dig Site Nominations

Living by the Icknield Way myself, I'd be interested in your site!

So it's all round to Jenni's to dig a pond in her garden ?

Appoligies to C4 I had a reply to my mail within 24 hours and glad to know it wasn't just me there was a problem with the link and it was being looked at, although my nomination did get lost and I will have to re-type it.

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Originally posted by Jenni:
Sniffy - the nomination link works fine for me:

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/B/bigromandig/nominate.html

Living by the Icknield Way myself, I'd be interested in your site!

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It wasn't the link to the nomination page there was a problem with Jenni, it was when you tried to submit a nomintion the next page link failed, unfortunatly losing everything you had put on the nomination form! At least I have had an appology from C4.

Which bit of the Icknield way do you live by? Where I am is so dominated by the Iron age, 2 fortified settlements and one normal settlement and a very dominant section of Grimms ditch. The only problem is that although Roman stuff, has been found it seems to have been pushed aside. I only found out reciently that the road I live on is roughly where a roman road ran off the Icknield way. It seems to me that if the local Ironage tribes found the area so adventageus (sp) to live in wouldn't the Romano british carried on utilising the same benifits. i.e. established trading route, natural defences (Ivinghoe beacon hill fort and Grimms ditch seperating boundries on Pitstone hill which must have been very dominant in the Roman era as it it still very deep in places now) natural spring, open land and woodland in the area etc. I would have thought so, that's why I would like to know the Roman story of the area.

I'm off to do a bit more reseach before I re-write my nomination!

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Originally posted by Tetricus:
So it's all round to Jenni's to dig a pond in her garden ?

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If EAFF had anything to do with it, it'd be a lake! Or do you have prior knowledge of a Roman cess pit in her back garden?

An EAFF dig could be fun - anyone know of any potential sites that aren't already protected?

Mmmm. Sounds interesting........
Trud

Saffron - I'm further along than you, in Royston.

I don't have a Roman cess pit nor do I need a fishpond! I doubt there's anything Roman at all under my back garden, since in most places it's 18"-2ft of topsoil with solid chalk underneath!