Overview
Continuing our tradition of working in partnership with other organisations, we have entered into an arrangement for a five-year programme of large-scale seasonal excavation fieldwork, which started in June 2009 at Binchester Roman Fort, Bishop Auckland.
Our partners are the Department of Archaeology, Durham University; Stanford University (California) Archaeology Centre; and the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland.
The project
We are investigating a portion of the fort interior, the south-east gatehouse, and a sample area of the neighbouring civil settlement. The project began in early June 2009 as a training excavation for undergraduate students from Durham University, followed by undergraduates from Stanford University.
As with the East Park project in Sedgefield, the public phase of the excavation will follow the undergraduate field school each year.
There is clearly still much to learn about Binchester and the site has the potential to tell us much about many different aspects of life in Roman and Early Medieval County Durham. It would also not be surprising if such an attractive settlement site had not been occupied in the pre-Roman period.
Excavation updates
You can find regular updates on the excavations by downloading copies of the Vinovia Bulletin below. We will aim to add new updates approximately every ten days during the current season. Please find 2009's bulletins below.
Vinovia Bulletin Vol 1.pdf (2 pages, 313kb) 
Binchester Vinovia Bulletin Issue 2.pdf (1 pages, 767kb)
How can I get involved (2010)?
We are now accepting applications for volunteers to come and excavate at Binchester Roman Fort this summer. The season runs from Monday 5 July to Friday 13 August 2010 (weekdays only). There are still spaces available. We have produced some basic information - Binchester background information.pdf (3 pages, 31kb) - on the excavations which you may find useful.
We are asking for a minimum commitment of three consecutive days, but preferably five if possible. All new volunteers are charged a £20.00 fee which covers a small administrative fee and gives a one year membership to the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland
(AASDN). Returning volunteers from last year who have renewed their membership with the AASDN are only charged £5.00. However if you haven't renewed, then you will be subject to the £20.00 charge.
Please contact the County Archaeologist, Dr David Mason via the email address at the bottom of the page to check availability on your preferred dates before downloading and sending the following forms with your cheque.
Please make cheques payable to "AASDN" and send them for the attention of Dr D Mason at the address below.
Binchester volunteer guidelines.pdf (2 pages, 25kb) Binchester participant information.pdf (2 pages, 22kb)
You can find further general information about the site, ourselves and our partners by clicking on the following links: