Experts hail ‘Pompeii of the North’ as spectacular Roman remains uncovered

Excavations at Binchester Roman Fort near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, have revealed finds dating back about 1,800 years and include one of the earliest pieces of evidence for Christianity in Roman Britain in the shape of a silver ring.

Archaeologists have discovered a bath house with seven-foot high walls, which were once covered with brightly-painted designs, and the original floor, doorways and window openings. An inscribed altar dedicated to the Roman Goddess Fortune the Home-bringer, has also been found.

The principal archaeologist for Durham County Council, Dr David Mason, said: “These findings are hugely significant as they are virtually intact and present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire. They are so stunning and spectacular that we can claim we have our very own ‘Pompeii of the North’ right on our doorstep.”

A joint project to explore the site between the county council, Durham University, local enthusiasts and American university students, is now in its sixth year. Project coordinator, Dr David Petts, a lecturer in archaeology at Durham University, claimed the excavations have uncovered parts of “one of the best preserved Roman buildings in Britain”.

The findings coincide with the Binchester Roman Festival 
this weekend featuring guided tours of the recent excavations as well as several re-enactment groups.

Binchester, near the River Wear, was known to the Romans as Vinovia and commanded the main road running from the legionary headquarters at York to Hadrian’s Wall.

It formed a key element of the complex frontier system that lay both sides of the wall which marked the northern-most edge of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.