The view from the hill
A presentation on the Waddon Hill project was given on the 26th at Beaminster Museum by the Senior Archaeologist at Bournemouth University. What we know of the site is that it was a Roman barracks for infantry and cavalry not long after the invasion and that no evidence was found during the excavations of the 1960s to suggest that there was an Iron Age hillfort before that. However, it was shown that there is a bank that hugs the contours of part of the hill. As is well known the Roman army built their fortifications in straight lines and occupied strongholds of any tribe they wished to subdue and it would be unusual for them to occupy Waddon Hill as a 'virgin' site, so this may be the first evidence that the hill was already used and then converted for their use.
Part of the project was to undertake some geophysical surveying (see the previous post on Waddon Hill) and that was carried out. It is now hoped to dig some test pits to see if any new information can be found about the Roman occupation and any further evidence for Iron Age use. DDCAG are going to be part of this investigation in 2025, so keep looking in for more news on this important site.
