NHSF Blog: Stories from the Amphitheatre
This month's guest post explores the heritage science investigations helping to unlock the stories of several Roman and post-Roman artefacts discovered in Chester.
In Stories from the Amphitheatre: The Role of Science in Exploring Chester's Artefacts, Karla Graham (Senior Archaeological Conservator at Historic England) and Francesca Gherardi (Senior Materials Scientist at Historic England) share the fascinating science behind the excavation and analysis of one of the most significant sites in Chester – the Amphitheatre.
Learn about investigating their favourite finds and explore how heritage science was incorporated into an exhibition at the Grosvenor Museum.
The Chester Amphitheatre Project was undertaken by Historic England and Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) to understand the Roman amphitheatre and its environs and to inform the conservation and management of the site. It involved excavation at the site in 2004 to 2006 and a significant programme of post-excavation work to analyse all the finds, funded by Historic England and Chester City Council. This work has been undertaken by Conservators, Materials Scientists and Environmental Scientists at Historic England’s Fort Cumberland Laboratories in Portsmouth using a range of scientific equipment and techniques.