Entire Roman streets and a lost river uncovered in City of London archaeological dig

wfgodot

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Dateline: Londinium.

'Entire streets' of Roman London uncovered in the City (BBC News)
An archaeological dig in the heart of the City "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, experts claim.

About 10,000 finds have been discovered, including writing tablets and good luck charms.
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One expert said: "This is the site that we have been dreaming of for 20 years."
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It contains the bed of the Walbrook, one of the "lost" rivers of London.
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More than 100 fragments of Roman writing tablets have been discovered. Some are thought to contain names and addresses, while others contain affectionate letters.
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MOLA's Sophie Jackson said the site contains "layer upon layer of Roman timber buildings, fences and yards, all beautifully preserved and containing amazing personal items, clothes and even documents."

The site also includes a previously unexcavated section of the Temple of Mithras, a Roman cult, which was first unearthed in 1954.
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much more, with pictures, including an amber amulet in the shape of a gladiator's helmet, at the link above
 
I hope in the near future a complete catalog of all items found (along with photos) is released to the public.
 
You just can't dig in any major European city without hitting some ancient structure!

Amazing stuff.
 
Incredibly amazing! How cool for those who are there and actually digging this stuff out. I can't wait to see more!
 
When they get ready to exhibit, the museum catalog will be a fine piece of eye candy.
 
Is anyone watching "We Built This City"? It's a Discovery show, I think, but it airs on various channels and deals with discoveries just like that detailed by wfgodot.
 
Same story, more pictures:

'The Pompeii of the North': London's most important ever archaeological dig unearths
THOUSANDS of perfectly preserved Roman artefacts and underground structures
(Daily Mail)
∙ Coins, pottery, shoes, lucky charms and amber Gladiator amulet found
∙ Experts believe artefacts found near Thames date back 2,000 years
∙ Discoveries have been preserved in muddy waters of lost Walbrook River
∙ It provides largest quantity of Roman leather ever unearthed in the capital
∙ Site lies alongside huge building project for new offices in central London
∙ Three-acre site is also home to the Temple of Mithras, discovered in 1950s
 
Was London moved to Rome, or the other way around?

Just kidding. Couldn't find an 'introduce yourself' thread or anything so thought this was as good as any to make a start here, since I love archaeology. Can't wait until this dig is revealed in its totality! The boots ... the tile ... awesome :)
 
Very excited about this find!!!! How long before all this is cataloged and when can the public view it?
 

Incredible. 40 a.d.? Some of those (okay, MOST of those) artifacts are as intricate as any modern made item. As well preserved as these items seem to be, I have to wonder if any chipping of them is due to the excavation itself. The whole site should be preserved where it sits and made into a museum!
 
Incredible. 40 a.d.? Some of those (okay, MOST of those) artifacts are as intricate as any modern made item. As well preserved as these items seem to be, I have to wonder if any chipping of them is due to the excavation itself. The whole site should be preserved where it sits and made into a museum!
That would be great. But it's in the City, though - some of the most expensive real estate in the world.
 
That would be great. But it's in the City, though - some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

All the more valuable because it's now a historic site! Could they build above it, and make it a basement museum? I know the answer to that, but wish it could be true :)
 

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