The Colchester Archaeological Group (CAG) are a very active and enthusiastic local group of volunteers who undertake excavations and research, and who often work in partnership with the Trust.
On their web-site, the CAG say: ‘… We have been working since 1955 to bring together the contribution volunteers can make to local archaeological knowledge and discovery.
The Group organizes a series of archaeological digs throughout the year to help members develop and practice their skills in excavation.
There is also an annual series of lectures during the winter months, study visits and other fieldwork designed to promote knowledge and interest in archaeology …’.
The series of lectures are held here at the Roman circus centre, on Monday evenings, starting on the 3rd October and finishing on the 6th March 2017. The lectures are listed below and also in the calendar on this web-site and on the CAG web-site. This is not the only CAG presence here, as the CAG library is housed in a room on the third floor of the Roman circus centre. It looks like another excellent programme of lectures this year – including two by Trust members of staff! These are ‘The Clactonian in Essex’ by Trust archaeologist Adam Wightman on the 14th November and ‘Built to impress and intimidate – Colchester’s giant Roman monumental arcade’ by Trust director Philip on the 27th February… (The monumental arcade, the remains of which will soon be permanently exposed in a cafe at 97 High Street, is associated with the Roman circus, as the pompa (religious procession) which preceded every chariot-race day at the Roman circus would have started at the Temple of Claudius and passed through the gateway in the arcade on its way to the circus.)
The CAG winter lecture programme for 2016/17 is as follows:
2016
* 3rd October: Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Mark Davies, ‘Art and Architecture in Roman Colchester’.
* 10th October: ‘The Essex Martello Towers’, by Roger Kennell, Local History Recorder for Holland-on-Sea & Chairman of the Clacton Victoria County History.
* 17th October: ‘Germanic and Anglo-Saxon houses: an archaeological exploration on the Continent and in England’, by Edward Martin, independent archaeologist and landscape historian.
* 24th October: ‘RAF Lakenheath Anglo-Saxon cemeteries’, by Jo Caruth, Senior Project Officer, Suffolk Archaeology CIC.
* 31st October: ‘Geophysical surveys 2014-15 at Court Knoll, Nayland, Suffolk’, by Andora Carver of the Nayland and Wissington Conservation Society and Tim Dennis of the CAG.
* 7th November: ‘Essex on the map, 1576 to 1805′, by Peter Walker, retired accountant and map enthusiast.
* 14th November: ‘The Clactonian in Essex’, by Trustarchaeoloist Adam Wightman (Colchester Archaeological Trust).
* 21st November: ‘Looking death in the face? Different attitudes towards bog bodies and their display’, by Jody Joy, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.
* 28th November: ‘Eudo the Steward – a remarkable man in both early Norman Colchester and England’, by Peter Berridge, former head of Colchester and Ipswich Museums.
* 5th December: the CAG Christmas party…
2017
* 16th January: ‘“Serfs you were and serfs you shall remain”; the Peasants’ Revolt in Essex/Suffolk’, by Dr Herbert Eiden, Assistant Editor of Victoria County History Essex.
* 23rd January: ‘Camulodunum and its villas’, by John Shepherd, Director of Archaeology for Andante Travels.
* 30th January: ‘London’s first voices: writing tablets from the Bloomberg excavations 2010-14’, by Sadie Watson, Project Officer at Museum of London Archaeology (MoLA).
* 6th February: ‘The Mildenhall Treasure and fine dining in Roman Britain’, by Richard Hobbs, Curator of the Romano-British Collections at the British Museum.
* 13th February: ‘Mud and monuments: the archaeology of the Essex coast’, by Ellen Heppell, Senior Archaeologist at Archaeology South-East (ASE, part of University College London).
* 20th February: Members’ activities – short presentations on projects undertaken by CAG members during the past year.
* 27th February: ‘Built to impress and intimidate – Colchester’s giant Roman monumental arcade’, by Trust director Philip Crummy MA FSA (Colchester Archaeological Trust).
* 6th March: ‘Recording of Colchester’s historic buildings’, by Jess Tipper of Colchester Borough Council/Dave Stenning.
Admission fee for each lecture:
CAG members = £2, student members = free
Non-members = £4, students £1.
Visit the CAG web-site at http://caguk.net/ .
The Trust is very pleased to welcome the members of the CAG to the circus centre for their series of letures.
The Roman circus centre is closed for the winter from 4.00 pm on the 1st October 2016 until 11.00 am on the 10th April 2017. It is available to hire as a venue: please contact the Trust – contact details at www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?page_id=284 .
The image shows the beginning of a CAG lecture in 2015.
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