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Meet the Team
Raiders of the Roman Age
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Meet the Team
Location: Dorset
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Susann Palmer
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Project Director & Director of the Association for Portland Archaeology |
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Susann has been directing archaeological excavations as a qualified archaeologist since 1964. She is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and is also a qualified Museum Curator and an Associate of the Museums Association. She has worked in the British Museum and as curator of the London Borough of Bromley Museum. She has lectured for the Diploma course of the University of London Extra-mural Department and for various Adult Education establishments; she now lectures widely as a freelance. She is the author of several books and numerous papers in learned journals. |
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01305 861576 |
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susann_palmer@yahoo.co.uk |
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Dee Reilly
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Site Manager |
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Dee leads the excavation team.
BEING AN ARCHAEOLOGIST
(Spending one's time poking around in dead people's rubbish!)
Hi! I'm Denene. You can call me Dee - everyone does.
So how did I get into this archaeology lark? Well, I wasn't the typical future archaeologist who was always digging up the garden. (I hate gardening with a passion!) Living in Dorset most of my life, it's hard to ignore the past that is all around you, especially when your grandparents had a burial mound at the bottom of their garden. School holdays were spent with my parents, brother and sister, nosing around old ruins and churches, hunting for flint tools- a love I have to this day.
Guess I was a child a little bit prone to getting pretty bored by things. So I really liked situations where you never knew what was going to happen to you, or what you were going to discover, and archaeology is like that.
Life goes on, the child becomes a woman, marriage, career, and before I knew it, forty was knocking on the door. The John Lennon quote hit me:
"LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE BUSY MAKING PLANS"
It was now or never, so I booked myself on a two week dig for beginners at Chedworth Roman Vila. That led me to other digs and joining the Association for Portland Archaeology. Next I became a part time student at Exeter University, studying Archaeology and History through the Internet. I've gained my Certificate in Archaeology and am now studying History. I've also spent the last two years, part time, working at Bestwell Quarry, a dig in Wareham.
Here at last, Portland and it's Community will have a chance to unravel the past. Susann Palmer and the Association have worked hard over the last year, ensuring that the site wasn't destroyed by development, and that the people of Portland were given the opportunity to take part in their own dig.
Now I know a lot of people have this image of archaeologists as a bunch of absent-minded scruffs and missfits covered in mud.... That's not always true, some are only slightly absent-minded.... and hey, I changed my socks a week ago! |
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01305 822437 |
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toria4000@aol.com |
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Janet Harris
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Finds Assistant. |
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Assisting with processing and recording of finds.
I am not a Portlander, but have worked and/or lived here for 20 years. I moved to Portland for my job and have stayed on after retiring from the Civil Service.
I have been interested in how people use to live ever since I was given a set of picture books on Prehistoric, Roman and Mediaeval Britain - about 50 years ago. This led to an interest in archaeology, but never did anything about it until I went to a lecture on Portland archaeology, at St George's, and as a result joined APA.
Since then I have washed and labelled worked stone finds from Culverwell, and done a little actual digging at the Youth Hostel in 2002. This is the first time I have been involved in a full scale dig, and am beginning to realise that a site like this, so close to home, is the chance of a lifetime, for an amateur. It is so wonderfully complicated. |
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Martin Blundell
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APA Secretary |
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Chairman of the Royal Manor Workshops, and Trustee of the Isle of Portland Heritage Trust.
Has had an interest in archaeology since 1966.
A committee member of APA, and has been Secretary since 1997.
Participated in the last two years of excavation of the Culverwell Mesolithic site. is involved in the maintanance of the site, and acts as a guide for the site visitors. Also leads guided walks of the High Angle Battery, the Verne Citadel, and the Merchants Railway.
Has been involved in other local digs.
"I see the Western Road Project as a unique oppertunity to excavate and understand a site which has probably not been disturbed since ancient time - a rarity on Portland, which has been heavily quarried, destroying lots of archaeology." |
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01305 783701 |
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mjblundell@iclway.co.uk |
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Hazel Dunning
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Digger |
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Hazel has always enjoyed archaeology and visiting various sites. She is now taking the oppertunity to do it for real. |
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Peter Glover
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Digger |
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Peter was not interested in archaeology, but had often wondered why the Stone Age people had settled Culverwell, which was very exposed. He visited the site, which he found very interesting, and them joined APA (Association for Portland Archaeology).
He saw the article in the Echo about the Royal Manor Field excavation, and just wanted to get involved. |
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Dudley & Carol Cooper
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Diggers |
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Dudley, along with his wife, Carol, started helping with the dig because he like history, is curious and nosey!
He strongly feels that the people of Portland should get involved as a community project and to find out about our heritage. |
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Chris Harpley
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Digger |
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Chris was stationed at Portland as a sailor, then settled on the island in 1968. He has two daughters, Lynda ans Sara, and three grandsons.
He is interested in geneology, tracing family history, and since retiring has been assisting his daughter doing this, which has led him into archaeology.
With time on his hands, he can to see if he liked it and is finding it interesting and fun, socialising, ans meeting people. |
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Natasha Roberts
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Digger |
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The dig looked really interesting and she wanted to give it a go.
She found a piece of pottery like a dog bowl, which has encouraged her to work more quickly to try to find more exciting things - mostly bone and pottery at present. |
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Beryl Bray
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Digger |
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An elderly person who might be expected to prefere quietly washing and recording finds rather than down on her knees on the site, removing buckets full of heavy soil after carefully examining every small trowel-full.
The first weekend felt as though it could be the last, but now it is obvious the exercise is having all-round benifits.
The pleasure of an occasional exciting discovery and working in likeminded (if slightly eccentric?) company, are bonuses.
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Jo & Laura Kimber
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Diggers |
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Jo and daughter, Laura, are from Weymouth, having heard of the dig from 'Aunty' Viv, and being great lovers of Time Team, were keen to have a go themselves. Although Time Team has it'r critics, they feel that the programmes have created a lot of interest in archaeology and have themselves become very interested in this facinating subject.
They are enjoying the dig as a family recreation, and finding it stimulating for the brain as well as the body.
When discovering a piece of pottery which has lain hidden for all those years, they have had a lovely feeling touching something that someone has used so long ago, connecting them to the past.
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Mike & Dorothy Osmond
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Diggers |
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Mike and Dorothy moved to Portland in december 1994: the unique beauty and history of the Island has fascinated them ever since. In early 1997 they attended a sries of lectures about archaeology given by Susann Palmer, and later became members of APA (Association for Portland Archaeology). In 1999 Dorothy was elected to the APA Executive Committee and Mike has taken on the role of treasurer. They have worked on various projects on the Island and are happy to be part of the team excavating this site and for the wonderful opportunity it gives them to discover more about the area and it past inhabitants. |
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Vivian Kimber
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Digger |
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I have always been interested in archaeology and have visited many sites at home and abroad. I joined APA a couple of years ago, helping Susann and other members to sort the many finds from the Culverwell site, which have found most fascinating.
When we heard about the discovery of the settlement at the Royal Manor Field,. we all felt that we had to do all we could to get funding to enable us to excavate this site. Despite many setbacks we finally achieved this aim and have just started the dig which is really exciting and good fun involving all the community.
The site itself is very complex and every time we dig a little further or deeper it is posing more questions than it is answering at the moment. However I am really looking forward to learning more about our heritage as so much of it has been lost in the past, and we have to seize this unique opportunity which may turn out to be of national importance.
I'm still working through aches and pains at the moment but it is all worthwhile when a structure is uncovered or something is
found which has not been seen for hundreds or even thousands of years. I get a rea buzz from handling the pieces of pottery and bone fragments and trying to work out the puzzle of what was there and how the people lived over tbe long period that it
was used as a settlement.
I have also thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with so many different people, especially the scboolchildren who have visjted the site and had a go at digging for finds on the spoil heap. They have all been so enthusiastic which I have found very rewarding.
Although a complete novice with regard to archaeology, l am thoroughly enjoying this project and in a lot of ways can't wait to discover all that is there but also don't want it to end!
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Val McGowan
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Digger |
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Hello! my name is Val, I am married to Keith and blessed vith two beautiful daughters, Sarah and Joanne.
I read about the dig on Portland and tbought to myself 'I would love to be there' but the mundane things took over and I forgot about it, but then on the Friday when I took my daughter to school (l use the little lane by the dig to turn around to go home) I saw Dee on the site. I watched her for a few minutes and plucked up the courage to ask about the site. Sbe very kindly told me about the dig and what they expect to find and the rest is history (if you'lI pardon the pun!). I now help when I can.
We are uncovering the buildings structures at the moment but in doing so we find all sorts of things along the way. I really cannot describe the feeling I get when I find something, no matter how small the object is. To think my hands are the first to hold that object from centuries ago is really fascinating and exciting for me. On Saturday 30 July 2005 I found, amongst other things, a piece of decorated pottery, lying alongside a large stone, and then, just under the stone, two smaller pieces that fit alongside the bigger piece. It was black. in colour with a defined lip, and a herringbone design on it, but when you turned it to catch the light it was a beautiful cobalt blue. Well, I was like a kid with a new toy! I really enjoyed that find. It's a bit like being a detective finding items which make up a bigger picture about the way of life back then.
I will attend the dig as often as I can now. l am hooked. Every time I go it is exciting. It transports me back in time, when I'm working I have aching muscles at the end of the day, but even that does not stop me and I can recommend it to everyone.
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Colin Cade
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Digger |
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Animal, vegetable, or mineral?
A famous mountaineer was once asked "Why do you climb mountains?" His reply was simply .'Because they are there.'
The playing field of the Royal Manor Arts College is home to a potentially exciting archaeological site. In response to an appeal for volunteers to work on the site I offered my services. My only previous experience was in 1965 when as a serving prison officer I supervised a party of Borstal Boys on a 'dig' in the city of Nottingham. My job was to ensure good behaviour. although I did manage a little trowel work.
My interest in archaeology was maintained at 'tick over' level thanks to the TV programme 'Time Team'. The invitation to work on the RMF site presented the opportunity to move up a gear. and I'm glad l joined!
"'What have we here?" muses Director Susann Palmer and Site Managers Dee and Jane. 'Is that a wall or a path. and what is lhe extent of this feature which is obviously a drain'?" As for the impressive centre stage circular structure, is it an lron Age roundhouse or - could it really be! - a Roman temple? Not very likely but. .. ..!
In an attempt to build up a background picture I borrowed two. books from the local library, namely Susann' s ~ Ancient Portland - Archaeology of the Isle., and "Roman Britain" by Keith Branigan. Meanwhile on the site I try to imagine the original occupants at work and play. Tbe abundance of pottery and animal remains does suggest (at least to this lay person) that they enjoyed a healthy diet, prepared in attractive cookware.
In the short term I hope that the discovery and excavation of the RMF site will awaken (or reawaken) a local interest in the way in which our ancestors lived - and (hopefully) teach something about their final journey. Looking further ahead I feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of this site becoming a source of major importance within the wider field of archaeQlogy.
Why did I volunteer? The challenges and hardships are unlikely to compare with those of a mountain climb, but the initial response is simply "'Because it is here
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