I visited the site in August 2003 and must admit to being confused as to why it was called Brigantium? It's not in the Brigantia I think I know, and does not discuss Brigantian archaeology. However, it does a good jod of illustrating Northumbrian archaeology with a video show and some reconstructions. I do have some concerns however. Firstly, the site is getting very run down - some of the path have obviously been closed and everywhere there are signs explaining that things are being "experimentaly" allowed to get overgrown. I'd suggest they lack the resourrces to cut the grass, and clearly a number of the displays are now no longer visible - ridge and furrow, Roman Road, Roman Defences, the Iron Age enclosure features etc. It looks to me that this is a museum in decline - the signs are getting very faded and in need of painting etc. The displays are deteriorating/obviously not being used as part of a "live" reinactment.
I would be very surprised if this museum lasts out the decade without further funding.
Our final stop was spent in Northumbria at a place called ‘Brigantium’. There is such a wealth of archaeology in the county that is quite difficult to get to, but the people in charge of Brigantium have produced mock ups of some of the famous sites to show people what the county has to offer. One of the sites is though (they boast) quite real. That of a hunters rock shelter that dates well into the Mesolithic. Flints had been found there during excavations and various slabs look as if they have been placed.
A splendid site just south of Jedburgh on the A68 at a little hamlet called Rochester. The old Roman fort of Bremenium is a 20 minute walk away but it is not for this that the visitors come.
Brigantium is a series of reconstructions from sites discovered in the local area. You can see cup and ring marks, a stone circle, a bronze age burial cairn and an iron age farmstead as well as various roman reconstructions.
By far the most interesting part of the site however is the Hunters Rock Shelter which is the only part of the site which is likely to have been really used by mesolithic hunters and gatherers. Whilst excavating this area flints were found at the entrance of the natural rock shelter and certain slabs of stone appeared to have been placed.
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Posted by thelonious
Posted by notjamesbond
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