Archaeologists unearth remains of Roman basilica on site of new London skyscraper
Work to give 21st-century London yet another skyscraper has uncovered traces — in fact chunks — of the city's origins almost 2,000 years ago.
Archaeologists exploring the site of a planned 32-story office tower announced Thursday that they have unearthed the remains of a Roman basilica that once stood at the heart of the city known as Londinium.
Excavations in the basement of a building slated to be demolished for the tower at 85 Gracechurch St. uncovered flint, brick and ragstone walls and foundations, up to 1 meter (over 3 feet) wide, 4 meters (13 feet) deep and two millennia old.
Sophie Jackson of Museum of London Archaeology called it "one of the most significant discoveries" in years in London's oldest quarter, the City – the square-mile financial district where modern glass high-rises stand atop the remnants of Victorian, medieval and even earlier structures.
What's been uncovered are the foundations of a two-story building, almost as big as an Olympic swimming pool. It was constructed between 78 and 84 A.D., about three decades after Roman troops invaded Britain and some 20 years after forces of the Celtic warrior queen Boudicca sacked the fledgling settlement.
The basilica was part of the forum — the social, political and commercial heart of Roman London — where people went to shop, mingle, seek justice and hear the latest edicts from political leaders. The newly discovered remains are believed to form part of the tribunal, a raised area of the forum where politicians and officials made decisions about the city's governance.
It's the "beating heart of the city," said Andrew Henderson-Schwartz, head of public impact at Museum of London Archaeology. "It kind of towers above the city. And so it's a real symbol of Roman power and authority.
"We're talking about the early stages of London here, but it's a real sign of investment in the city, even in its early infancy," he said.
Developer Hertshten Properties, which owns the site and has planning permission for a new office tower, has agreed to incorporate the remains into its plans and put them on display in a visitor center.
Henderson-Schwartz said the extent of the "absolutely massive" foundations discovered in several test pits suggests an "extraordinary" level of preservation.
Further digging could answer intriguing questions, including why the original forum was only used for 20 years before being replaced by a much larger one, which remained in use until the collapse of Roman rule in Britain three centuries later. Items such as writing tablets, styluses, and even ancient trash could give glimpses into the daily lives of Roman Londoners.
Property developers in Britain routinely have to consult archaeologists as part of their planning process, a practice that has uncovered finds from Saxon jewelry to medieval ice skates to the skeletons of 14th-century plague victims.
The latest discovery adds to the scant traces of Roman London that can be seen around the city, including a section of ancient wall, a portion of amphitheater beneath the Guildhall and a temple to the god Mithras which lies incongruously under the modern headquarters of information company Bloomberg.
"We do have these little windows into Roman London that are all over the city," Henderson-Schwartz said. "But this is really in some ways the site that connects them all together. This is the heart of Rome in London, where all the decisions were made."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Voice of America
08-03-2025
- Voice of America
UK pie and mash fans seek protected status for Cockney classic
"One and one, please, love," a regular said, leaning on the counter at a pie and mash shop in London's East End. In seconds, one piping-hot beef pie appeared with a single scoop of mashed potatoes at the G Kelly shop, topped off with parsley sauce known as liquor. Londoners have been eating this classic Cockney combination since at least Victorian times, but for many years the working-class staple has had a humble reputation among outsiders. Now a campaign to get pie and mash special protected status is gaining ground, with supporters arguing the dish deserves an official stamp of recognition similar to Parmesan cheese and champagne. After a British politician took the case to Parliament and won the backing of MPs, campaigners hope to land the label this year. "'Bout time," said G Kelly customer Daniel Terrance as he tucked into his third pie and mash of the week. "I just want more," the 39-year-old electrician chuckled, eating the meal with a traditional accompaniment of jellied eels. Stewed eel water The first pie and mash eateries began to crop up in London in the 1800s, when street hawkers selling pies teamed up with eel vendors and set up shop near the city's docks. Over time, a set of rituals has grown up around the dish, from the rapid-fire "one and one" ordering system to the fork and spoon that purists insist on using to eat it. The pie's flaky crust and soft suet base have been a fixture for generations, but most cooks have agreed to let one old-fashioned practice slide — nowadays, the liquor is rarely made from stewed eel water. British cuisine has had a hard time shaking off its bad reputation, but backers say pie and mash is worthy of joining hundreds of dishes with official protection in mainland Europe and elsewhere. The campaigners, among them several pie shop owners, now need to get a recipe for the dish approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs so they can secure a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) label. The stamp legally safeguards traditional recipes but differs from badges awarded to foods like Parma ham in that it allows them to be made outside a specific area. Neil Vening, the fourth-generation owner of the G Kelly family shop, hopes the label can prevent big companies from capitalizing on tradition to pump out substandard pie and mash. "It's undermining this great heritage we've got," the 33-year-old said, pointing to the black-and-white photos of relatives and staff around the shop, founded by George Kelly in 1939. 'Time warp' For regular customers who have seen dozens of pie and mash shops close since the dish's heyday, nostalgia is a big part of the appeal. Gentrification has pushed London's Cockney population farther and farther from the East End, and changing tastes have ushered in a wave of coffee shops and artisan bakeries. "I like the changes but not every local does," said Leanne Black, who has worked at the shop for 14 years. The 45-year-old East Ender said many customers love the comfort an old-fashioned pie and mash shop brings. "It's not just about the food. Some people feel that the world has changed so much, and when they come in here, it's like a time warp. "It's the smell in here. It's the tables, the cold marble. ... It's everything." Future-proof pie Pie and mash's recent history is not just a story of decline, though. Vening said G Kelly is enjoying a boost as newcomers and tourists eat alongside old-timers. And East Enders who moved away from the capital have taken the dish with them — dozens of pie and mash shops are now flourishing outside London. An official status would cement this turnaround, the campaigners argue. Conservative MP Richard Holden, who took the motion to Parliament late last year, told AFP he wanted to celebrate pie and mash shops like those in his Basildon and Billericay constituency east of London. "Let's give them the protected status they deserve," he said.
Voice of America
13-02-2025
- Voice of America
Archaeologists unearth remains of Roman basilica on site of new London skyscraper
Work to give 21st-century London yet another skyscraper has uncovered traces — in fact chunks — of the city's origins almost 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists exploring the site of a planned 32-story office tower announced Thursday that they have unearthed the remains of a Roman basilica that once stood at the heart of the city known as Londinium. Excavations in the basement of a building slated to be demolished for the tower at 85 Gracechurch St. uncovered flint, brick and ragstone walls and foundations, up to 1 meter (over 3 feet) wide, 4 meters (13 feet) deep and two millennia old. Sophie Jackson of Museum of London Archaeology called it "one of the most significant discoveries" in years in London's oldest quarter, the City – the square-mile financial district where modern glass high-rises stand atop the remnants of Victorian, medieval and even earlier structures. What's been uncovered are the foundations of a two-story building, almost as big as an Olympic swimming pool. It was constructed between 78 and 84 A.D., about three decades after Roman troops invaded Britain and some 20 years after forces of the Celtic warrior queen Boudicca sacked the fledgling settlement. The basilica was part of the forum — the social, political and commercial heart of Roman London — where people went to shop, mingle, seek justice and hear the latest edicts from political leaders. The newly discovered remains are believed to form part of the tribunal, a raised area of the forum where politicians and officials made decisions about the city's governance. It's the "beating heart of the city," said Andrew Henderson-Schwartz, head of public impact at Museum of London Archaeology. "It kind of towers above the city. And so it's a real symbol of Roman power and authority. "We're talking about the early stages of London here, but it's a real sign of investment in the city, even in its early infancy," he said. Developer Hertshten Properties, which owns the site and has planning permission for a new office tower, has agreed to incorporate the remains into its plans and put them on display in a visitor center. Henderson-Schwartz said the extent of the "absolutely massive" foundations discovered in several test pits suggests an "extraordinary" level of preservation. Further digging could answer intriguing questions, including why the original forum was only used for 20 years before being replaced by a much larger one, which remained in use until the collapse of Roman rule in Britain three centuries later. Items such as writing tablets, styluses, and even ancient trash could give glimpses into the daily lives of Roman Londoners. Property developers in Britain routinely have to consult archaeologists as part of their planning process, a practice that has uncovered finds from Saxon jewelry to medieval ice skates to the skeletons of 14th-century plague victims. The latest discovery adds to the scant traces of Roman London that can be seen around the city, including a section of ancient wall, a portion of amphitheater beneath the Guildhall and a temple to the god Mithras which lies incongruously under the modern headquarters of information company Bloomberg. "We do have these little windows into Roman London that are all over the city," Henderson-Schwartz said. "But this is really in some ways the site that connects them all together. This is the heart of Rome in London, where all the decisions were made."
Voice of America
30-10-2024
- Voice of America
Australia to ramp up missile production as Indo-Pacific enters new missile age
Australia said it was boosting its missile defense capability amid "significant concerns" about China's test of an ICBM in the South Pacific, and will bolster weapons stockpiles and exports to security partners as the region enters a new "missile age." Minister for Defense Industry Pat Conroy said in a speech on Wednesday that Australia was increasing its missile defense and long-range strike capability, and would cooperate with security partners the United States, Japan and South Korea, to contribute to regional stability. "Why do we need more missiles? Strategic competition between the United States and China is a primary feature of Australia's security environment," he told the National Press Club in Canberra. China test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in September that traveled over 11,000 km to land in the Pacific Ocean to Australia's northeast. Conroy said the Indo Pacific was on the cusp of a new missile age, where missiles are also "tools of coercion." "We expressed significant concern about that ballistic missile test, especially its entry into the South Pacific given the Treaty of Rarotonga that says the Pacific should be a nuclear weapons free zone," he told reporters in response to a question. Australia was deploying SM-6 missiles on its navy destroyer fleet to provide ballistic missile defense, he added. Earlier this month, Australia announced a $4.75 billion deal with the United States to acquire SM-2 IIIC and Raytheon SM-6 long-range missiles for its navy. Australia has previously said it would spend $49 billion on missile acquisition and missile defense over the next decade, including $14 billion to fund the Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, a new domestic manufacturing capability. "We must show potential adversaries that hostile acts against Australia would not succeed and could not be sustained if conflict were protracted," Conroy said in the speech. Australia will spend $212 million to establish local manufacture of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), in partnership with Lockheed Martin, to produce the rapidly deployable, surface-to-surface weapons for export, from 2029. The factory will be capable of producing 4,000 GMLRS a year, or a quarter of current global production, Conroy said. France's Thales will establish Australian manufacturing of 155mm M795 artillery ammunition, used in howitzers, at an Australian government-owned munitions facility in the small Victorian city of Benalla. It will be the first dedicated forge outside of the U.S., with production starting in 2028, and the capacity to scale up to produce 100,000 rounds a year. The war in Ukraine was using 10,000 rounds of 155-millimeter artillery shells a day last year, outstripping European production, he said. "In a world marked by supply chain disruption and strategic fragility, Australia needs not only to acquire more missiles, but to make more here at home," he said. In August, Australia said it would jointly manufacture long-range Naval Strike Missiles and Joint Strike Missiles with Norway's Kongsberg Defence in the city of Newcastle on Australia's eastern coast, the only site outside of Norway. Australia's navy will also have Tomahawk missiles, with a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles), by the end of the year, increasing the fleet's weapons range 10-fold.
