THE STORY OF A SHALLOW GRAVE WILL DEFINE THE FINALE OF WESSEX WEEK 2023

JEWELLERY, silver and swords will start a journey into Anglo Saxon history when well-known archaeologist Richard Osgood leads the finale to Wessex Week 2023 in Malmesbury on Saturday October 21.

Richard, who is an archaeologist and senior historic adviser at the Ministry of Defence, will be sharing the story of the excavation of graves found on land near Tetbury and the stories those graves have told – so far…

“The site was discovered by a metal detectorist who was surveying a field with the landowner’s permission and found various artifacts and informed the appropriate authorities,” Richard said.

“That led to us launching Exercise Shallow Grave where we investigated some of the site and found the remains of individuals, and a child, and it became clear that here was a site which was both Roman (43 AD until early 5th Century) and Saxon (410 to 1066 AD). 

“Two individuals were found with grave goods including swords, a buckle, beads and it’s clear that these people were considered important. We intend to revisit the site in 2024 and continue our dig which we know the landowner is keen for us to do and we believe the site could give yield important information about the re-use of a Roman site in the early Saxon period.”

Richard, who grew up in Bradford On Avon and always wanted to be an archaeologist, is also the founder of Operation Nightingale – which supports veterans and serving military people who have been injured in conflict allowing them to participate in digs as part of their recovery and to aid their wellbeing. 

So successful has this project been that Richard has recently released a book about it – ‘Broken Pots Mending Lives: The Archaelogy of Operation Nightingale’. 

“It may be seen strange that finding remains of people and artifacts could help people yet there is something magical that happens around these digs. Veterans and those who still serve can find solace and support in the experience and team work which goes into any dig.”

Richard’s talk, The Shallow Grave, will be held in Malmesbury Town Hall on Saturday October 21 from 7pm and, at time of writing, there were only 20 tickets available for purchase. 

This year’s Wessex Week features a series of events that will celebrate the region’s history, culture and art through the centuries with a particular emphasis on Malmesbury and the Anglo-Saxon period. The events take place in the town between Saturday, October 14 and Saturday, October 21. 

Tickets for any of these events are available online via the Wessex Week website https://wessex-week.org and there are some also available for purchase at the Tourist Information Centre based at Malmesbury Town Hall.  Please be aware that some events have already sold out.