Archeological findings from the road site. (Photo: Sue Potts)
History can seem distant and obscure. It can be hard to imagine scenes of everyday life long ago. But for several classes of lucky children in England, history came alive this year.
The Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Primary School sits in a charming little village in Oxfordshire, England. It has playing fields standard for children's activities. But little did they know, they were playing football atop history. Surveys in December 2023 revealed the presence of a Roman road beneath the field, and succeeding excavations have revealed a piece of Roman history. Meanwhile the children at the school have gotten a thrilling history lesson, up close and personal to the relics of Roman times.
The Brightwell Village History Group partnered with the Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society to explore the field's potential. Surveys and a test pit heightened the promise. History enthusiasts had long suspected an early Roman road passed through the area. Excavations began in the summer, turning up a road that cuts along the field. Made of cobblestone, the road is actually two layers, one older and one newer paved above.
“It’s believed to be one of the first roads in England from 43 CE, which is the year the Romans invaded,” Jason Debney, of the Brightwell Village History Group, announced to the Oxford Mail.
The digging in the schoolyard was an exciting opportunity to introduce the young pupils of the school to Roman history, which is taught in the fourth year of the school. The students, on the other side of a safety barrier, got to watch the work of the archeologists. They could ask them questions and learn more about the career as well.
“To have the children come out here every day and watch the dig progress has been fabulous for them,” Sue Potts, head teacher, told BBC News. “It’s not every day you find a Roman road beneath your school field.”
Potts also noted, “I’ve often found them gathered round the fence having a watch, seeing what’s going on, looking at the artifacts and what’s been dug up or just asking questions.”
The archeologists clearly loved the company and enthusiasm of the children, while the kids themselves appreciated the rare opportunity.
Beneath a playing field adjacent to an English school lay a Roman road, undiscovered for millennia.
It is believed to be one of the earliest Roman roads in Britain, built upon the conquering of the island by the Roman Empire.
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]
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