The excavation of an eight century monastery has moved on to the next stage.
The dig is taking place in Paddock Field, next to Holy Trinity Church, in Cookham, until 2 September
The Anglo-Saxon site near Cookham, Berkshire, was initially uncovered in 2021 by a team from the University of Reading.
Since then, it has carried out two extensive excavations close to Holy Trinity Church. The third dig will concentrate on Paddock Field's graveyard area.
Prof Gabor Thomas says the dig will "push the frontiers of our knowledge"
Prof. Gabor Thomas, the head of the dig, expects that the excavation work will provide a window into daily life at the monastery.
"Monastic culture was at its height then," he said. It was crucial for the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England, but the documentary sources don't really provide any information on how they were set up.
Our archaeology will advance our understanding of day-to-day life in these societies in truly innovative ways.
Senior archaeologists also hope the remains found in the cemetery will give insight into the health of people in Cookham at the time
Archaeologists discovered an industrial and craft zone that would have provided nuns with food and helped to move imported goods down the River Thames during the final full-scale dig in the summer of 2022. The teams' goal this year is to employ scientific examination of the burials discovered in the cemetery area to ascertain the social identities and health of those buried there, including residents of the monastery and nearby people.This site is significant from an archaeological standpoint, according to Prof. Thomas. There are no other monastic settlements from this time period in southern England that are in such good condition.
During the last dig in the summer of 2022, excavators found an industrial and craft zone
Senior archaeologists will give free site tours to the general public every Saturday from the start of the dig until 2 September 2023.
Archaeologists will be offering free tours of the site every Saturday over the summer
The Friends of Cookham Abbey organisation is also working to raise money for the excavation effort and is coordinating an outreach program to inform locals about the findings.
