In Leicester, archaeologists have unearthed a Roman shrine buried beneath a disused cemetery adjacent to the city’s cathedral. The £12.7 million excavation effort unearthed thousands of artefacts, including a shattered altar foundation discovered in the basement of a massive Roman edifice adjacent to the current cathedral.
According to Mathew Morris, excavation director at the University of Leicester’s Archaeological Services (ULAS), the Leicester Cathedral is rumoured to have been constructed on the site of a Roman temple. “We’ve discovered a Roman structure that appears to have been a shrine,” he stated. “No tests exist that can establish what it was. The most likely explanation is that it was a shrine, but there are few alternatives.” He believes it was most likely part of a shrine dedicated to a divinity such as Mithra, Dionysus, or Isis.
The discoveries also include Roman coins from the First and Fourth Centuries, a well preserved Roman hairpin, the remnants of a brooch, and bits of Gaulish pottery depicting a gladiator and a Pegasus or gryphon. The excavation has uncovered traces of Roman Leicester, as well as numerous traces of Anglo-Saxon and mediaeval Leicester.
The project director, Simon Bentley, hoped that when the new facility opened in June 2024, the altar base and other artefacts would be on exhibit.
An interesting piece of history has been unearthed by archaeologists in Leicester: a Roman shrine buried beneath a disused cemetery near the city’s cathedral. A project worth £12.7 million has found thousands of artefacts dating back 2,000 years, including coins, jewellery, and pottery. An altar foundation uncovered in what was apparently the basement of a massive Roman edifice adjacent to the current cathedral’s exterior wall is one of the most noteworthy discoveries.
Director of excavations for ULAS, Mathew Morris, believes the shrine was used to worship gods such as Mithra, Dionysus, and Isis. In addition, he stated that the discovery indicated the site has a sacrificial history extending back 2,000 years and is “extremely significant” since it will provide crucial insights into the history of the city.
The excavation has also uncovered traces of Anglo-Saxon and mediaeval Leicester. Prior to the excavation, the first mention of St. Martin’s Church – which became Leicester Cathedral in the 20th century – was from the 1220s. Nevertheless, the dig proved that a church existed on the site far earlier.
During the excavation, nearly 1,100 sets of human remains were discovered, including three Norman burials and two children from pre-Viking Leicester. These skeletal remains have been photographed, labelled, and packaged for further examination.
The project director, Simon Bentley, expects that some of these artefacts will be on show when the new facility opens in June 2024.
