WHILST asking ‘how often they think of the Roman Empire’ has become a bit of a viral trend, people up and down the country were thinking about Carlisle’s role in the Roman Empire, thanks to an eye-opening episode of a BBC show.

The acclaimed archaeological excavation Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC) at Carlisle Cricket Club became the focus of BBC's Digging for Britain with host professor Alice Roberts joining the dig team who have been finding evidence of the site's Roman archaeology since 2017.

One of the main highlights of the excavation was the revelation of a massive Roman bathhouse believed to have been built for the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus.

The structure, described as a two-storey marvel, contained a wealth of Roman artifacts and 34 tiles bearing the letters 'IMP,' the signature of the Roman Imperial court, indicating a connection to Severus or construction under his orders.

News and Star: One of the IMP tiles at Tullie House,One of the IMP tiles at Tullie House, (Image: Stuart Walker)

Veteran archaeologist Frank Giecco, of Wardell Armstrong, shared the significance of the find. 

"We know Septimius Severus was in the north of England with his wife and family.

"For a brief period, the north of England served as the centre for the Roman Empire, and this bathhouse was likely used by the emperor and his court."

The excavation also revealed the well-documented two Roman heads believed to be theatrical masks, strategically placed for warding off evil within the bathhouse. 

 

One of which Frank described as one of the most exciting finds of his career. 

Public reactions flooded social media after the episode aired. 

Twitter user @BooksHayloft said: "Carlisle is a very special place in many ways (long before the Romans!)" 

@Heatherlooharr1 shared a personal connection, by saying: "Carlisle has loads of Roman stuff. I dug there myself as a student many moons ago."

@RedfernNeil commended the award-winning Uncovering Roman Carlisle project, praising the combination of "community involvement, the cricket club, exceptional archaeology, and a fab team".

Digging for Britain Series 11, The Roman Bathhouse will be available on BBC Iplayer for the next 11 months.