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 Another exciting find has been made at the Maryport archaeological
dig led by Professor Ian Haynes of Newcastle University with leading
field archaeologist Tony Wilmott.
Jane Laskey, curator of the Senhouse Roman Museum next to the site
at Camp Farm made the discovery on Wednesday 29 June.
It is a large piece of another altar stone - the site is internationally
famous for the cache of 17 altar stones found there in 1870 and now on
display in the museum - 22cm high and 12 cm wide, found 75cm below the
ground surface in a Roman ditch.
Mrs Laskey, who has been the curator at the museum since 2002 said:
"Emma, one of the Newcastle University student volunteers and I were
excavating the fill of the ditch when we discovered some stone in the
bottom.
"Dave, the site supervisor, asked us to remove it. The last stone was a
fragment from the top of an altar. I recognised the shape instantly.
Emma screamed and the whole site team rushed over to see.
"This is a very exciting find for me because of my close connection with
the collection, but it is an achievement for the whole team.
"I have already been through the museum collection to find a similar
altar fragment, but this looks like evidence for another completely
different altar existing at Maryport."
The first find was made just days into the dig at the beginning of June,
and is a smaller altar fragment, also from a different altar not already
in the collection at the museum.
Ian Haynes said: "This new fragment has part of the capital of an altar
with pulvini - that is part of the top of the altar and a section of one
of the scroll like features that runs along its edge.
"My thoughts on the ditch at the moment are that it could have been dug
to enclose a sacred space but further evidence is needed. The ditch
edges were clearly maintained originally, we can see some attempt to
reinforce them made in certain areas which was to prevent the sandy
edges crumbling.
"However, because of the position and material surrounding the altar
fragment when it was found it looks as if it was discarded in the ditch,
which was then allowed to fill up. Fragments of Roman pottery found in
the ditch are all Antonine or later, suggesting it was filling up or was
filled up in the late second or early third centuries AD."
Maryport - with a Roman fort and large civilian settlement - was a key
part of the frontier coastal defences extending from Hadrian's Wall and
is now part of the 150 mile Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site.
Senhouse Museum Trust has commissioned the excavation and provided
funding of £50,000 towards the total cost of the fieldwork. The team
will excavate through to 20 July.
Professor David Breeze of the Senhouse Museum Trust said: "The Senhouse
Museum Trust is delighted that we are learning more about the find-spot
of the altars.
"The two fragments of altars show that not all was removed in 1870 and
new discoveries will help our interpretation of the altars and sculpture
in the museum to visitors."
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