ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed a 2,000-year-old Roman farmstead in Worcester.

Worcester City Council’s archaeology team, alongside more than 30 volunteers, have put spade to soil during the two week excavation at Mab’s Orchard in Trotshill, Warndon Villages.

Excavations have revealed the site was a busy farmstead dating back at least 1,800 years to the second century AD.

Roman pottery finds include mixing bowls and tankards as well as fine tableware.

The first signs of the Roman farmstead were discovered in 2006 when a team of archaeologists carried out a test dig at the site and found ditches containing Roman pottery.

The land is being excavated now because the neighbouring Warndon Villages allotments are set to be expanded, following approval by the City Council’s planning committee.

The dig has been made possible by a grant of £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and additional funds from Worcester City Council and Councillor Andy Roberts’s county council divisional fund.

As a result of the fortnight-long dig, many pieces of Roman pottery have been found and now the public are being given the chance to see the dig for themselves on its final day this Saturday, as the site opens for visitors from 10am to 3pm.

James Dinn, Worcester City Council’s archaeological officer, said: "The open day on Saturday will be an opportunity to come along and see the archaeologists at work on their final day of excavation and find out what we’ve discovered over two weeks of excavation. There will be activities for all and the chance to handle the finds that are coming out of the ground."

During the dig, archaeologists from Rubicon Heritage have been on site to give training and guidance.

Archaeology and geology students from Worcester Sixth Form College and pupils from Hollymount and St Joseph’s primary schools have also joined the effort, getting soil under their nails as they come face-to-face with Worcester’s ancient past.

The archaeology team have been keeping a dig diary at mabsarchaeology.wordpress.com, where detailed information on their finds can be found. Live updates are also being posted on Twitter using the hashtag #mabsarchaeology.

The open day runs on Saturday, December 2 from 10am to 3pm.

Limited parking is available in the allotments car park (WR4 0SY), with more spaces available on Dugdale Drive.