A community archaeological dig in Carlisle, which recently revealed the discovery of unique paint pigment from the Roman era, is set to continue its award-winning project of Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC).

A lump of the rare Tyrian Purple pigment, thought to be the only one of its type in the former Roman Empire, was unearthed during the 2023 excavation of a Roman Bathhouse within the grounds of Carlisle Cricket Club.

The project will return to the site this year in hopes of unravelling more of its historic mysteries.

The dig, scheduled from Saturday, May 11 to Saturday, June 15, has already filled 700 volunteering slots, constituting approximately 300 individuals.

460 school students across Cumbria are registered to visit the site, a figure that continues to rise.

The project invites additional volunteers, without previous experience in archaeology, to join the dig and explore Carlisle's past.

The project has been recognised with four awards, including three for archaeological achievements from the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and another from the Society for Museum Archaeology.

It was also featured in the recent Digging for Britain series with Prof Alice Roberts.

Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council's executive member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said: “Following the recent news of the Tyrian Purple, there’s a real buzz about the site and it’s going to be fascinating to see what else is uncovered.

“The upcoming excavation will once again provide opportunities for Cumberland residents to take part in archaeology and heritage, or for groups, schools, and individuals to visit a live archaeological excavation."

Featuring monuments like the bathhouse, the largest known building on Hadrian's Wall, the site has yielded more than 2,800 significant finds.

Among the treasures discovered, there are more than 550 Roman coins, more than 300 hairpins, Imperial stamped tiles, hundreds of stunning glass beads, gaming pieces, and even a rare Roman doll's foot.

70 carved gemstones, also known as intaglios, were found in the drains. They could have fallen off Roman signet rings when the glue holding them melted in the bathhouse heat.

Frank Giecco, technical director at Wardell Armstrong said: “We are very happy to be welcoming people from Cumberland and beyond back to the site.

"I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve and of all the diggers and everyone who has contributed and continues to give so much to the project.

"It’s so much more than we could have expected when the bathhouse was first discovered.

“Volunteers have gone on to work or study archaeology and related fields due to the project, we see a lot of new faces a lot of returning, and even feature in BBC and Smithsonian documentaries and international news.

"All the project partners are really looking forward to being back!

"It’s a bit like with a sport, people are learning and developing and growing through active participation in archaeology and the artefacts continue to shed more light on Carlisle, which was once Rome’s frontier city."