Matt Jones has been doing archaeology for nearly
20 years, starting paid archaeological work in the
school holidays between terms.
He studied at Cardiff University doing student
excavations at Durrington Walls as well as the
‘Islands in a common sea’ project on the
Isles of Scilly.
Matt has worked all over the country: started in
Canterbury before stints in Gloucestershire,
Chester, Worcester, back to Canterbury, before
settling in Cambridgeshire for over 10 years
before starting with Archaeology Warwickshire
in 2020.
His main interests are Prehistoric and Roman
archaeology, with a focus on transitions, such as
Bronze Age to Iron Age/ Iron Age to Roman as
well as the beginning of monumentality in the UK.
This presentation is centring on Roman Warwick,
which, up to this point there has been relatively
scant evidence for. Archaeology Warwickshire
have excavated two sites within Warwick and a
third very close by which all have varying scales
of Roman occupation. These sites are: Warwick
School (WS17); Europa Way (WE19) and The
Asps (BTA21)
At Warwick School a Roman building, likely an
aisled barn or similar building, was uncovered
along with a series of other
structures including corn dryers and a potential
tile kiln. The building was also related to a series
of ditches and pits with the likelihood that
there was an earlier prehistoric phase of
occupation. The site was in use between the
1st-3rd centuries with its floruit between the 1st to
end of the 2nd century.
Europa Way was a little less intensive with a
series of field boundaries and associated pits
identified, these potentially representing an area
of communal grazing/pasture for Roman
Warwick? The Asps has found some of the first
tangible evidence for settlement within the
vicinity of Warwick, this consisting of an enclosed
Roman settlement. The Roman settlement was
associated with a wider agricultural landscape
including boundary ditches and pitting with a
likely focus of grain production. ( The Asps may
not be included as it is dependent on the site
owner granting permission).
