The Environment Programme is part of the Druce Roman Villa Project managed by the East Dorset Antiquarian Society (EDAS) and undertaken by community volunteers.
Between 2012 and 2018 the team excavated an unrecorded Roman Villa site and its environs. Soil samples were taken throughout the excavation and an ‘Environmental Programme’ was initiated to include analysis of: the animal bone assemblage, the charred plant macrofossils and the charcoal.
The programme is an opportunity to undertake an assessment of the environment of a Roman Villa in the chalklands of Dorset, occupied from the early Roman period to sixth century AD.
The identification and recording of the samples has been completed for all workstreams. Final analysis and writing of the reports will commence once the detailed phasing plan for the site is available. This is based on a spot-dating framework provided from analysis of the pottery and coin assemblages.
BAR Publishing has commissioned a monograph for the Druce Farm Roman Villa Excavation with intended publication in 2021.
Funding has been provided by: the Roman Research Trust, the Mark Fitch Fund and the Valentine’s Charitable Trust.