THE story of the largest archaeological excavation ever undertaken in Somerset will be told next week during a Hinkley Point Archaeology Day.

The excavations at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site were carried out by Cotswold Archaeology between 2012 and 2016 in advance of construction work.

Now, detailed reports of what was found have been published in three monographs by Cotswold Archaeology.

Highlights from the reports will be presented by the Cotswold team at a conference in the Victory Hall, Stogursey, on November 30.

The event is being co-hosted by Cotswold Archaeology, Somerset and Archaeological Natural History Society (SANHS), and the South West Heritage Trust (SWHT), which monitored the excavations for Somerset Council.

Trust head of historic environment and estates Bob Croft said: “This is an opportunity for local people to hear about the results from the excavations at Hinkley Point.

“An expert panel of archaeologists and academics will tell the story of over 5,000 years of history discovered at this important site.”

Cotswold Archaeology chief executive Neil Holbrook said: “We are delighted to be able to present some of the results from the extensive investigations we undertook at Hinkley Point.

“The detailed research has now been published and we are pleased to be able to share this with the local community and researchers.”

Delegates will hear about the discovery of Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman farms, and a Roman villa.

They will also hear about an early medieval cemetery which was investigated and the valuable information it provided about the people who lived in the area.

Archaeology of the National Grid Hinkley Connection Project will be also be presented during the day.

The conference is ticketed at £12 and £6 to include lunch and booking is necessary via SANHS by emailing sanhs.org.uk or [email protected]

SWHT is an independent charity committed to protecting and celebrating Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage.

As well as the Museum of Somerset, Taunton, and the redeveloped Somerset Rural Life Museum, in Glastonbury, the trust manages state-of-the-art facilities in Taunton, Exeter, and Barnstaple to care for the archive collections of the two counties.