Latest news with #MuseumofLondonArchaeology
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Village '3,000 years old than previously thought'
An archaeological dig has revealed a village existed nearly 3,000 years earlier than the medieval period that historians initially thought it dated from. The excavation at Sharnbrook, near Bedford, carried out by the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) uncovered new evidence that people lived in the area as early as 2,500 BC. The excavations found two burials, including a cremation which could have dated from the Iron Age, Bronze Age pottery, and remains of an Iron Age and Roman farming settlement. Paul Smits, managing director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, which has commissioned the dig at one of its housing development sites, said the discoveries offered "a richer understanding of the land and the ways people lived". Before the recent discoveries, historians believed the village was established in the early medieval period (AD 800-900). One of Mola's finds included a crouched burial, likely to be of an adult male. Specialists have said that because the remains were found in a "too small grave" it suggests "the remains had partially decomposed before the burial took place". A cremation burial found at the site had remains in a small urn "set upon another layer of burnt bone". Mola said: "The cremation also contained small pieces of iron – possibly remains of nails from the funeral pyre." Chris Chinnock, its reporting team lead, and human osteologist, said the discovery was "really exciting". "While we don't currently have evidence for other Bronze Age features on our site, the remains of Bronze Age burial mounds were discovered in the 1970s near Radwell, on the opposite bank of the River Great Ouse, so we look forward to exploring Sharnbrook's Bronze Age connections further during our post-excavation work." Since the dig, further studies of the crouched burial are taking place using scientific techniques to discover when and how the individual died. Mr Smits said: "It is fascinating to discover that a community was living in this area thousands of years earlier than previously thought." Redrow Homes is also building in the area - at its Templars Park development. John Mann, a managing director at Redrow, said: "We look forward to sharing these discoveries with the local community over the coming months and providing an archival legacy for future generations to enjoy." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Is this the face of teenage queen Lady Jane Grey? Roman cemetery found at roadworks site is 'unique' WW2 bomber group museum appeals for repair funds Mola
BBC News
13-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Dig reveals burials that show Sharnbrook dates from the Bronze Age
An archaeological dig has revealed a village existed nearly 3,000 years earlier than the medieval period that historians initially thought it dated excavation at Sharnbrook, near Bedford, carried out by the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola) uncovered new evidence that people lived in the area as early as 2,500 excavations found two burials, including a cremation which could have dated from the Iron Age, Bronze Age pottery, and remains of an Iron Age and Roman farming Smits, managing director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, which has commissioned the dig at one of its housing development sites, said the discoveries offered "a richer understanding of the land and the ways people lived". Before the recent discoveries, historians believed the village was established in the early medieval period (AD 800-900).One of Mola's finds included a crouched burial, likely to be of an adult male. Specialists have said that because the remains were found in a "too small grave" it suggests "the remains had partially decomposed before the burial took place".A cremation burial found at the site had remains in a small urn "set upon another layer of burnt bone". Mola said: "The cremation also contained small pieces of iron – possibly remains of nails from the funeral pyre."Chris Chinnock, its reporting team lead, and human osteologist, said the discovery was "really exciting"."While we don't currently have evidence for other Bronze Age features on our site, the remains of Bronze Age burial mounds were discovered in the 1970s near Radwell, on the opposite bank of the River Great Ouse, so we look forward to exploring Sharnbrook's Bronze Age connections further during our post-excavation work." Since the dig, further studies of the crouched burial are taking place using scientific techniques to discover when and how the individual Smits said: "It is fascinating to discover that a community was living in this area thousands of years earlier than previously thought."Redrow Homes is also building in the area - at its Templars Park Mann, a managing director at Redrow, said: "We look forward to sharing these discoveries with the local community over the coming months and providing an archival legacy for future generations to enjoy." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Ancient Roman Landmark Found Under London Office Building
London's origins as a city date back to the days of the Roman Empire, after the invaders arrived to Great Britain and established the town of Londinium. Nearly two millennia later, remnants of the Romans' presence are still being found in the U.K. capital. Developers were preparing to demolish an office building from the 1930s in the heart of London when archaeologists at the site unearthed parts of the city's first Roman basilica in the basement of the building. It was built around 80 C.E., nearly four decades after the Romans invaded Great Britain, and functioned as a forum and town hall for the ancient city of Londinium where officials often made major political, judicial, and commercial decisions. "There could be political discussions happening. It could have been business transactions and big business deals," Andrew Henderson-Schwartz, communications head for Museum of London Archaeology, which led the excavation, told NBC News. "Essentially, it's like shooting forward 2,000 years in time and finding the speaker chair to the House of Commons."The discovery was made near London Bridge and the Tower of London, placing the ancient multipurpose government building smack dab in the middle of Londinium. "It really is the heart of Roman London, where the big decisions that were made impacted the rest of London and also the wider Roman world in Britain," Henderson-Schwartz said. "We knew that this was potentially the site of the first Roman basilica, but what we didn't know was how well these remains had survived."Luckily, if you're interested in experiencing the ancient building for yourself, you don't have to wait until the pieces are installed behind glass in a museum. The MOLA team is now working with architectural firm Woods Bagot to fully excavate the Roman treasured and incorporate them into new office building plans. "It's part of a new plan to celebrate these amazing discoveries and put them on public display," Historic England archaeology adviser Helen Hawkins said. Henderson-Schwartz added that guests will be able to travel back in time themselves in the future. "They will really experience what it was like to stand on the stage of Roman London,' he the meantime, you can check out the British Museum for extensive collections pertaining to Roman London.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This 2,000-Year-Old Roman Basilica Was Just Discovered Under an Office Building
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The original stone foundation of a key Roman-era building was located under a London office. The site was likely part of a larger city forum (built around 80 A.D.) that helped establish Roman London—known as Londinium—before rapid growth took hold. Owners plan to revamp the new building design to make the ruins accessible to the public. All it took to find what experts are calling one of the greatest Roman era discoveries in London history was pushing aside a few filing cabinets and drilling beneath an office building. Okay, so maybe there was a bit more to the lead-up to discovering the city's first Roman-era basilica, but that was the final step. During the planning for demolition and reconstruction of an office building just steps from London Bridge, crews spotted a clue that the city's first basilica—a public building akin to a modern city hall—was potentially buried underneath. So, they started searching, and on their third test dig, they found what they had been looking for. It was located literally between filing cabinets. 'You can see a huge chunk of Roman masonry, and it's incredible that is survives this well,' said Sophie Jackson, from the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola), according to BBC. 'We're absolutely thrilled that there's so much of it here.' The Kent-based limestone foundation is estimated to have been the basis for a building roughly 130 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 40 feet tall (equal to more than two stories tall). Crews also found a roof tile imprinted with an official stamp. 'This is so significant,' Jackson said. 'This building will tell us so much about the origins of London, why London grew, and why it was chosen as the capital of Britain. It's just amazing.' Dated to roughly 80 A.D.—not long after the Romans took over the region and founded what they called Londinium—the 2,000-year-old building was once part of a larger forum, which was a social and commercial hub that would have included a courtyard roughly 100 yards long. 'The basilica is the town hall, and then in front of it was a big open market square with a range of shops and offices around the outside,' Jackson said. 'It's the place you came to do business, to get your court case sorted out, it's where laws were made, and it's where decisions were made about London, but also about the rest of the country.' The first mention of London in historical records comes from just after 40 A.D., when it was a settlement. It really hit the news in 60 A.D., when that settlement was sacked by Celtic queen Boudica. The Romans then retook the site and created a planned city. Experts believe this basilica and forum had about a two-decade shelf life before the city outgrew the area and built one larger. Eventually, this site was built over, not to be seen again until now. 'The fact that Roman London is beneath your feet is, frankly, quite a remarkable emotion to experience,' said Chris Hayward from the City of London Corporation, according to BBC. 'You can actually see and visualize how Roman London would have been in those times.' The Roman remains will somehow get incorporated into the new office space—quite the change for the owners of the property. Architects will work with city planners to design around the archaeological site, eventually hoping to expose the ruins and make them accessible to the public. The BBC wrote that displaying London's past is part of the architecture of the city—from an old amphitheater beneath a glass floor at Guildhall Art Gallery to an installation at Bloomberg's offices that shows off the Temple of Mithras. 'To actually see people using and enjoying the space, moving through the public hall and down to see the remains, will be absolutely incredible,' James Taylor, an architect at Woods Bagot, told BBC about the changes. 'The scheme has been comprehensively adjusted. Simple things like the columns have had to literally move position, so you're not destroying all these special stones that we found in the ground.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Roman London: Tower plans to be revised after basilica found
Ben Lynch Local Democracy Reporting Service Visulent AB The basement of the new tower is to be made into an exhibition space to display the Roman remains Plans to build a new tower block are to be revised to showcase a "monumental piece of London's history" after the remains of a Roman building were unearthed. Archaeologists found the remains of a Roman basilica - a 2,000-year-old public building where major political, economic and administrative decisions were made - underneath an office block at 85 Gracechurch Street, which is due to be demolished and rebuilt. The ongoing excavation has so far revealed sections of limestone wall that formed the base of the basilica. Site owner Hertshten Properties already has permission to build a 32-storey tower at the site, but the proposal will be revised to include the Roman display. The remains are to be presented as part of an immersive experience delivered in partnership with London Museum, with hopes of opening by 2029-2030. Hertshten Properties said it was excited to showcase "such a monumental piece of London's history". The exhibition would be a "world-class public experience" for visitors, the firm's chief executive Rob Hertshten added. Unearthing early Roman London under an office basement The developer said it also planned to reduce the height of the proposed tower to 30 storeys, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The building, which is opposite the historic Leadenhall Market, will include offices, retail outlets as well as cultural space. Tony Jolliffe Some walls of the basilica were revealed during a dig between filing cabinets at 85 Gracechurch Street Previous investigations at the site revealed the existence of the basilica, but it was only uncovered in recent excavations by the Museum of London Archaeology. Experts believe it was the first to be built in Roman London and dates back to the late 70s or 80s AD. The basilica would have formed part of a wider Roman forum - a political, judicial, commercial, and social hub for residents and visitors. Peter Marsden The basilica is likely to have looked like this building Sophie Jackson, the Museum of London Archaeology's director of development, said it was "one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years". "It's like discovering the Speaker's Chair and chamber of the House of Commons, 2,000 years into the future," she said. Ms Jackson added that the structure was much better preserved than they expected it to be and that there were likely to be more discoveries at the site. "Excitingly, we've only just scratched the surface of this site's potential through our initial investigations," she said. Related internet links Museum of London Archaeology
