An aqueduct, which may have served one of the largest temple buildings in Roman Britain, has been uncovered during excavations near one of Norfolk's most remarkable archaeological sites.
A two-week dig, by volunteers and archaeologists involved with the Caistor Roman Project, is drawing to a close at Caistor St Edmund, near the town the Romans knew as Venta Icenorum.
Trenches have been dug on farmland known as Friston Field, close to where a Romano-British temple was previously located.
The excavations have yielded evidence of an aqueduct, which archaeologists believe may have carried water from a spring to the sacred temple site in the second century.
While the pipes have not been found, the iron collars which would have held the aqueduct in place were unearthed.
Professor Will Bowden of the University of Nottingham, said: "When you think about Roman aqueducts, you tend to think about massive arches, but those are the really expensive ones.
"The majority were like this - pipelines in the ground. This one is almost certainly linked to the temple complex.
"It is quite an unusual find and is quite significant. Such aqueducts worked through gravity, so it is likely that the water came from tapping into a spring somewhere higher up."
Prof Bowden said springs had religious significance in Roman Britain and it was possible there was another temple nearby.
The dig has not yielded any buildings, but there have been many other finds, including Roman pottery vessels, known as mortaria.
One mortarium was stamped with the mark of Crispus, a local manufacturer.
Another discovery was of a bone comb, which Prof Bowden said provided a glimpse into the care high-ranking Romans took over their appearance.
Alan Pask, chairman of the Caistor Roman Project trustees, said excavations could not take place without the year round work to organise them, raise money and record the finds.
He said: "There's an enormous amount of work which goes on in the community all year round to enable digs like this.
"We are delighted with how the dig has gone. We've had 40 to 50 people on site every day, including students and our volunteers, ranging from experienced ones to new members."
The Caistor Roman Project is a community archaeological organisation headed by a team of trustees.
The trustees are always keen for more people to get involved, who can find out how to do so via caistorromanproject.org or by emailing info@caistorromanproject.org
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