Take a trip back in time with an exhibition of ancient relics found in Marcham now on show at Abingdon’s County Hall Museum in Market Place

Gateway to the Gods – an ancient temple site at Marcham is the title of an exhibition which opened earlier this year in Abingdon.

The exhibition brings together some of the thousands of relics dug up in Trendles Field, Marcham, over the course of an 11-year-project.

Archaeologists said they had found a prehistoric and Roman ritual site of national significance.

As well as thousands of relics showing ritual and religious practices, the excavations also revealed a complex of unusual prehistoric features and Roman structures including a unique semi-amphitheatre and shrine buildings.

Many of the finds, they said, were probably gifts to the gods.

Education and outreach officer for the Trendles Project, Emma Gowans, said: “This is a great opportunity for residents of Abingdon to see, at first hand, some of the exciting discoveries that were made at Trendles Field.

“Literally thousands of items were found during the dig including Iron Age jewellery, Roman coins, a Roman basket and even a Roman shoe – all of which give a fascinating insight into the lives of our Iron Age and Roman ancestors.

“We have also been able to piece together a significant amount of research to understand the ritual and religious practices of those who lived in this part of the county over 2,000 years ago.”

The free exhibition is at Abingdon’s County Hall Museum, in Market Place, and will run until September.

School sessions are available where pupils can look around the Trendles Project exhibition in the main gallery of the museum and then participate in a Roman artefact handling session downstairs in the Kempster room.

Activities will be led by Emma Gowans and Trendles Project volunteers. All the artefacts the pupils will work with were found during local excavations at Marcham/Frilford.

Pupils will identify different objects and then learn how to record them like an archaeologist.