Roman Artifacts Found at Construction Site in Gloucester

GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND—BBC reports that archaeologists unearthed a trove of ancient material at a construction site in downtown Gloucester. During redevelopment of a lot in the city’s King Square, the team has uncovered Roman artifacts, buildings, and cobblestones believed to have been part of a road dating to between the second and the fourth century a.d. Researchers believe the location would have been within the northeast quadrant of a Roman colony that was founded in a.d. 97. The team also uncovered 317 skeletons and 83 brick vaults associated with St. Aldate’s church. Built in about 1750, the church replaced the original church of the same name, which is thought to have predated the Norman Conquest in 1066. Historians believe the original church was demolished in the mid-seventeenth century after sustaining damage during the English Civil War. “The site as a whole has the potential to increase public knowledge of the Roman, medieval, and post-medieval development of this part of Gloucester,” said Cotswold Archaeology’s Cliff Bateman. “Every time we work in Gloucester, we make new discoveries. It's a massively important place.” To read more about Gloucestershire's Roman history, go to "After the Fall."