Archaeology started at the castle with excavations by the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Brian Hope-Taylor and is being continued by members of the “Bamburgh Research Project” an archaeological research project, and training program, set up in 1996 to investigate the archaeology of the Bamburgh area.
Dr Brian Hope-Taylor excavated at Bamburgh
during two seasons, 1960-62 and there is a report of this dig,
but there is little detail given. Another dig in the west ward
between 1969 and 1974 which produced the Anglo-Saxon coins, as
far as is known, was not written up. Until early August 2001 the
few known artifacts, like the “beast” (see our logo) and strap ends
and coins were those in the castles museum room. The collection
of bones and other artifacts unearthed by the Hope-Taylor dig
was discovered when members of the Bamburgh Research Project
opened
a disused storeroom and found them just as they had been left
some 27 years ago.
In 1998 an excavation just to the east of the castle was undertaken to establish the exact whereabouts of an ancient burial ground at the Bowl Hole. Having established the location the excavation continued during the 1999 season and then again in the 2000 season. During this period the BBC’s “Meet the Ancestors” program became involved with the post excavation process and made the program, which was screened on 5th February 2001.
A geophysical survey was carried out during the summer of 1997-1998 by Phil Howard of Durham University and has produced some amazing results. Magnetometry was used in the north ward but was rather disappointing in the results obtained, a few circular anomalies were found in the southern part of the survey are which could prove to be pits of archaeological origin. A resistivity survey of the inner ward lawn has shown some linear features that could turn out to be wall lines of buildings. The inside of the Chapel of St Peter was also surveyed and although the results are difficult to interpret there is an indication of what may be the earlier Basilica of St Peter, which is thought to have stood on the same site. To clarify these findings a ground penetrating radar survey was conducted by Brian Donelly during the summer of 1999 and has provided a lot of new data that has confirmed the presence of structures and these will require further investigation to reveal their true identity. In 2004 the Chapel was excavated but no conclusive proof of the Basilica of St Peter was found although evidence of 12 century building was!
