Could archaeologists unearth secrets of Roman 'walk-in centre'?

But two thousand years ago, things were not quite so simple.

Now, archaeologists conducting a dig at a village near Norwich hope they might be able to unearth some of the secrets of Roman healthcare.

The team are carrying out work this summer at Caistor St Edmund, near the town the Romans knew as Venta Icenorum.

They have discovered medical implements in one area of the site and hope that they may be able to learn more about how Roman physicians plied their trade there.

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. Pictures: Brittany Woodman (Image: Brittany Woodman)

This summer's Caistor Roman Project (CRP) excavations, where volunteers and archaeologists are carefully searching the soil, is on farmland known as Friston Field.

How the temple at Caistor St Edmund might have looked (Image: Jenny Press)

The area is a stone's throw from where the site of a Roman temple, off Caistor Lane, was excavated in previous digs.

The team believe the area was not only a place of worship, but was also a location where physicians may have established themselves to offer medical cures for those drawn to the temple to find help for their ailments.

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. (Image: Brittany Woodman)

Archaeologists believe the temple area was a cult site before the Romans arrived at what was the capital of the Iceni tribe, led by Boudica.

They think it was then redeveloped by the Romans.

The temples were built in the 1st and 2nd centuries and previous discoveries of a Venus figurine and a bronze medical probe have prompted speculation about how the site was used.

Alan Pask and Prof Will Bowden. Pictures: Brittany Woodman (Image: Brittany Woodman)

Professor Will Bowden of the University of Nottingham, said the figurine may have been an offering to the gods to cure an illness.

But he said the probe could have been used by one of many physicians who set up around the temple.

Those physicians would have sold more practical, rather than spiritual solutions, to temple visitors.

The latest two-week long excavations are being done by more than 50 volunteers, including students from the University of East Anglia and the University of Nottingham.

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. Roman pot found at the site. (Image: Brittany Woodman/ Archant)

Another spatula object has been uncovered, which Prof Bowden said might provide further evidence of physicians acting in the area.

He said: "I wouldn't say we're looking at the Roman equivalent of a GP surgery, but it could suggest more activity by physicians we think might have worked in the temple vicinity."

Pottery and tiles dating back to Roman times have already been unearthed, with the area picked because geothermal imaging suggested buildings and pits in the area.

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. Margaret Hood. (Image: Brittany Woodman/ Archant)

Prof Bowden said the latest digs were entering "unknown territory".

He said: "We know there's something there and we can imagine that it is likely to be Roman and likely to be linked to the temple.

"But what is here, we just do not know yet, until we get down deeper.

"When we have dug areas before, we have had some confidence of what we expected to find, but this field has never been examined before - we are venturing into unknown territory."

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. (Image: Brittany Woodman)

But Prof Bowden said the latest excavation and others - outside the walls of Venta Icenorum itself - were helping build up the bigger picture of how the area was used, how sites interlinked and how the area was significant before the Romans arrived.

Alan Pask, chairman of CRP, said: “This is another exciting dig for our volunteers who have worked so hard over the years to create these kinds of researches, which are critical to our understanding of Caistor Roman Town and its hinterland.

"This year provides special challenges in such hot and dry conditions, but we`re sure that all participating volunteers will derive huge satisfaction from some of the secrets which lie beneath the quiet fields”.

HOW EARLIER HEATWAVE REVEALED SITE

Interest in Venta Icenorum was initially triggered more than 90 years ago after a series of aerial photographs were taken by the RAF during a hot summer.

Those photographs of the parched field, published in the Times, revealed the Roman town's layout of streets and buildings and prompted excavations in the 1930s.

First established in the 1st century, the banks and walls visible at the site now were not added until the 3rd century.

There are temples within the town as well and a road leading in the direction of the temple off Caistor Lane.

The site was still occupied from the early 6th century, but the Roman buildings and infrastructure were left to decay and it was abandoned in the 8th century.

In recent years, the University of Nottingham has carried out excavations, supported by the community-led Caistor Roman Project.

CAN I VISIT THE DIG?

Excavations at Caistor Roman Town. (Image: Brittany Woodman/ Archant)

The public cannot generally visit the excavation site, but members of the public will be able to join guided tours on Saturday August, 20 and Friday, August 26.

Admission is free, but all intending visitors must book tickets via Eventbrite.com and bring proof of booking with them.

There will be three tours on each day, at 11.15am, 1.15pm, and 2.45pm, with a limit of 60 people per tour.

Parking is courtesy of Caistor Hall Hotel, at the Caistor Lane end of their car park.