Staffordshire Pan. Image copyright Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust, Carlisle
This year’s Spring Conference is being held in association with the University of Durham on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April, at the Department of Archaeology, Durham University.
The theme is ‘New Research on Roman Finds at the University of Durham and New Finds from the Region’ with talks from a range of speakers from Durham and the area. It will be a ‘blended’ meeting with the opportunity to attend live lectures or to listen online via Zoom.
Timings and location are: 1pm to 5pm on Saturday 5th April, 10am to 3.15pm on Sunday 6th April. Room CG85 of the Department of Chemistry (next to the Department of Archaeology).
There will be a reception at the Museum of Archaeology, Durham following the Saturday talks at 5pm to 6.30pm (included in cost for in-person attendance), and an optional meal later at 7.30pm on the Saturday evening at Uno Momento Italian Restaurant, 39 Silver Street, Durham (meal attendees to pay own meal costs). If you would like to attend the meal, please send a separate email to Stephen Wadeson at williamswadeson73@gmail.com.
The RFG 2025 AGM will take place on the Sunday before lunch.
A full programme will be sent to all attendees closer to the conference date, along with the Zoom link for those attending online.
The cost for non-member in-person attendance includes a one year free membership to RFG.
Speakers include:
Dr. Eleri Cousins (Durham University): Ox goads, ink nibs, candlesticks? Revisiting iron spiral points in Roman Britain
Alice Main (Durham University): Roman glass at Binchester: evaluating a novel approach to materials analysis
Dr. Martha Lovell Stewart (Honorary Research Fellow, Archaeology, Durham University): Images of John Collingwood Bruce: new (or newly re-discovered) portraits in context
Orlagh Carlin (Durham University) – “Honing History” – Exploring the Whetstone Assemblage at Offerton
Alex Croom (North East Museums): Lathe-turned bone pins, a late Roman north-east regional object
Gemma Lewis (Museum of Archaeology, Durham): Reviving the Roman Legacy in Durham: How the last ten years have revitalised the Museum of Archaeology’s collections
Mark Hoyle – Illustrating Archaeological Finds from the region, and workshops at the Museum of Archaeology, Durham
Ben Westwood (Portable Antiquities Scheme): Lion Headed studs/mounts
Dr. Caroline Smith (Portable Antiquities Scheme): Roman Lead Finds from the North East – insights from Binchester Roman Fort and the PAS
Barbara Birley (Vindolanda Trust): Recent Finds from Vindolanda
Dr. Frances McIntosh (Curator of Hadrian’s Wall and the North East, English Heritage): Corbridge glass project; from 600 to 6000+ pieces (Pre-recorded)
Dr. Elizabeth Greene (University of Western Ontario): A toy mouse and other unusual leather objects in the Vindolanda assemblage
Dr. Alexander Meyer (University of Western Ontario): Vindolanda stylus’ and imaging techniques
Richard Carlton (The Archaeological Practice; Redesdale Archaeology Group): Some enigmatic finds from Roman-period native sites in Northumberland
Alex Rome Griffin (University of Lancaster): A Sensory Approach to Religious Small Finds from Domestic Spaces at Vindolanda
Costs
In-person attendance:
• £20 for fully paid-up RFG members and students
• £34 non-members, which includes a one-year FREE membership
Zoom attendance:
• £5 for fully paid-up RFG members and students
• £10 for non-members
Any questions about the meeting should be made to the RFG conference organisers Katie Mountain kmountain@pre-construct.com and Stephen Wadeson williamswadeson73@gmail.com.