Aldborough is a small village in North Yorkshire, UK.

Beneath its quiet streets and farmland lies the Roman town of Isurium Brigantum. This was the civilian capital of the Brigantes, the tribe who had ruled much of northern Britain before the Romans arrived. It was a town of importance in the Roman north, linking trade networks on key routes. There was great prosperity here – large town houses adorned with mosaics – and also culture. It was a place connected to the wider world through materials and people.

There is a rich history of research at the site; the emerging story of the archaeology weaving with the development of the discipline itself. The first known excavation took place in 1770, and exploration continues to this day. The Aldborough Roman Town Project seeks to better understand the origins and endings of Isurium, to capture some of its character and life. Geophysical survey and excavation are revealing plans at a landscape scale, and delving deep to understand the stratigraphy – the changing material layers through time.

Soundmarks will explore these sub-surface worlds: the layers, materials and fragmentary narratives that lie beneath the ground.