Driffield: 'Earliest Roman settlement' evidence found at secret site

Archaeologists at work at the site near Driffield

Archaeologists excavating a site in East Yorkshire believe they have found evidence of early Roman habitation

Volunteers have found various pottery items, including a decorative piece depicting a dog.

The location, near Driffield, is believed to be one of the earliest examples of Roman settlement north of the Humber estuary.

The crowd-funded dig has been organised by social enterprise company DigVentures.

Pottery thought to date back to the early Roman period

Dig director Nat Jackson said: "Over the past five years that we have been excavating in this field, we have found all sorts of things relating to the Romans in the very early time of their occupation."

A "chunky" piece of amphora - a type of container - found at the site had come "all the way from southern Spain", said Mr Jackson.

He added: "It would have contained either olives or olive oil."

Also found were pieces of ornate Samian pottery.

"We have one (piece) with a lovely picture of a dog on it," said Mr Jackson.

The team, comprising volunteers from as far afield as Canada, has dated the fragments from either the late 1st or early 2nd Century.

Mr Jackson said this lends weight to the theory that the site is "a very early Roman settlement".