Roman trading settlement, Blackgrounds, south Northamptonshire
Roman artefacts uncovered during the archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds,
Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire
Over the past twelve months, a team of around 80 archaeologists from MOLA Headland Infrastructure has been excavating an Iron Age village which developed into a wealthy Roman trading town.
The original use of the site, known as Blackgrounds after the black soil found there, began in the Iron Age when it was a village formed of over 30 roundhouses, which have been uncovered alongside an Iron Age road. Evidence from the dig shows that the settlement expanded over time, becoming more prosperous during the Roman period, with new stone buildings and new roads emerging.