An archaeological dig, part of the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project, may have unearthed evidence dating back to Cumbria's first farmers.

Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA) has been at the site between Penrith and Scotch Corner since late November, ahead of National Highways' £1.3 billion project to convert parts of the A66 into a dual carriageway.

So far, stone tools, pottery shards and Roman relics have been uncovered as part of the project. 

News and Star: (Left) Prehistoric stone tools , (right) Samian ware discovered within the finds(Left) Prehistoric stone tools , (right) Samian ware discovered within the finds (Image: OCA)

Maria Bellissimo, from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA), said: "So far we've found evidence stretching back to the Neolithic period, essentially the first farmers of Cumbria.

"The evidence may go way back before that but we can't say too much until our experts look into what period it comes from," she said. 

Fragments of pottery and Samian ware (Roman china) unearthed give evidence of daily life in the region, as well as when the site would have been used by the Romans as a road. 

"Clearly, the area around Penrith where we are currently working was once part of a very extensive trade network that stretched to intercontinental Europe. 

News and Star: Copper Roman brooch and Samien Ware potteryCopper Roman brooch and Samien Ware pottery (Image: OCA)

"It's amazing to see that the work we have done so far, we're uncovering so much about how the landscape is being used and how it was a very well-connected part of the Roman Empire and the trade networks that came with it," Maria said. 

The finds will undergo a thorough examination before being transferred to museums, where they are expected to be placed in Tullie House. 

The ongoing excavations are scheduled to continue, depending on the weather, for the coming weeks. 

"So far it's been an great project, the incredible team is having a good time, even through cold and snow. 

"None of these stories we're uncovering would happen if it wasn't for infrastructure projects like these.

"Archaeology is now part of the planning process and that is how we're uncovering more and more about our past.

"We're improving the infrastructure for today and tomorrow but we are also discovering so much of our past."