ARCHAEOLOGISTS and volunteers have begun their quest to unveil the mysteries of what lies beneath at the Groundwell Ridge Roman Site.

Yesterday the topsoil had already been uncovered, allowing a team from English Heritage to begin the slow process of digging down to where Roman remains were first uncovered by construction workers back in 1996.

The excavation is the largest ever carried out at the Roman site and is part of a community project run by English Heritage and Swindon Council.

Pete Wilson, project manager at English Heritage said: "Everyone has been eager to get on with the work, but they have had to wait until the digger has completed removing the topsoil and rubble.

"We are already seeing signs of what we believe may be a Roman wall just six inches down."

Robert Dickinson, Swindon Borough Council heritage manager, added: "Groundwell Ridge is one of our great community assets and we have worked hard to develop its potential, protecting the buried remains while adding cycle paths.

"The excavations this year should reveal even more about the daily lives of people in Roman Britain and how we can protect the site for the future."

Previous digs have unearthed evidence of well-preserved Roman buildings, pottery and coins dating from the 2nd to 4th century AD.

This year's activities will focus on one of the building's damaged when the site was discovered. Visitors can see the team at work Wednesdays to Sundays with tours from 11am to 3pm.