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Is there anywhere left to park in Leicester? Roman cemetery found as archaeologists dig up ANOTHER car park in the city
- Researchers have found a 1,700-year-old Roman cemetery with remains dating back to 300AD
- Follows the discovery of the remains of King Richard III under a car park in the city
- Knight and his family also recently found under an Edinburgh car park
By Mark Prigg
PUBLISHED:06:16 EST, 3 May 2013| UPDATED:08:27 EST, 3 May 2013
Car parks in Leicester are fast becoming the hottest place in town for archaeologists.
Following on from the discovery of the remains of King Richard III buried deep under a car park in the city, the team which worked on that astonishing find has discovered another gem - under another car park.
Experts from the University of Leicester archaeological unit that unearthed the last Plantagenet king, spearheaded another dig and discovered a 1,700-year-old Roman cemetery with remains thought to date back to 300AD.
Archaeologists have found 13 burials, belt buckles and a ring bearing a possible Christian symbol
A ring bearing a possible early Christian symbol, found by archaeologists at the site. Experts believe it may show an IX (Iota-Chi) monogram taken from the initials of Jesus Christ in Greek
Researchers found 13 sets of remains of mixed age and sex, and discovered the unusual practice of Christian burials alongside pagan burials.
Personal items such as hairpins and belt buckles, remains of shoes, and a ring bearing a possible early Christian symbol were also found at the Oxford Street site in Leicester’s historic city centre.
In addition, the team has found a jet ring with a 'curious' symbol etched on it, apparently showing the letters IX overlain.
Opinion as to its meaning is divided; researchers said it may just be an attractive design but it is also reminiscent of an early Christian symbol known as an IX (Iota-Chi) monogram taken from the initials of Jesus Christ in Greek.
Archaeological project officer John Thomas said: 'We have discovered new evidence about a known cemetery that existed outside the walled town of Roman Leicester during the 3rd to 4th Centuries AD.
'The excavation, at the junction of Oxford Street and Newarke Street, lay approximately 130m outside the south gate of Roman Leicester, adjacent to one of the main routes into the town from the south (Oxford Street).
The site of newly-discovered Roman burials under excavation below a car park in Leicester
'Roman law forbade burial within the town limits so cemeteries developed outside the walls, close to well-used roads.
'Previous excavations on Newarke Street had discovered numerous burials to the immediate east and north of the present site, all of which appeared to have been buried according to Christian traditions - buried in a supine position, facing east with little or no grave goods.
'Unusually, the 13 burials found during the recent excavations, of mixed age and sex, displayed a variety of burial traditions including east to west and north to south-oriented graves, many with personal items such as finger rings, hairpins, buckles and hob-nailed shoes.'
Researchers have so far found 13 burials, belt buckles, a ring bearing a possible Christian symbol, and found people with different beliefs were buried alongside each other
Mr Thomas said the jet ring was found on a set of remains that were buried in a Christian tradition - facing east - and nearby was a grave that showed a possible Pagan burial.
This grave had a north-south orientation, he said, with the body laid on its side in a semi-foetal position, with the head removed and placed near the feet alongside two complete pottery jars that would have held offerings for the journey to the afterlife.
He added: 'This would seem to be a very pagan burial, so it is possible from the variety of burials found that the cemetery catered for a range of beliefs that would have been important to people living in Leicester at this time.'
Researchers said the excavations also added information to the increasingly well documented medieval southern suburb of the town, revealing remains of 12th to 13th century quarries, cesspits and rubbish pits that would have been dug in the backyards of properties fronting onto Oxford Street.
Mr Thomas added: 'All of these pits contained a wealth of information from pottery, bone and environmental remains to help build a picture of medieval life in this part of the town.
A large 17th century defensive ditch running alongside Newarke Street was also discovered which was part of the town’s defences during the English Civil War.'
The site is earmarked for development.
THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE KING UNDER A CAR PARK
To great fanfare and cheers, scientists earlier this year announced to the world that the skeleton found under a council car park in Leicester is that of Richard III.
It was, they said, a historic moment, finally ending the centuries-old mystery of what happened to the body of the last Plantagenet king.
But the best was to come.
Academics were also able to reveal details of how one of the nation’s most controversial monarchs met his end – and how appallingly he was treated in death after defeat at the hands of Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
Stripped naked with his hands tied, and scarred by multiple ‘humiliation wounds’ inflicted as his body was paraded through Leicester, Richard III was dumped in a shallow grave with no coffin or shroud.
There his body remained until his skeleton was discovered last year following a campaign led by Phillipa Langley, of the Richard III Society.
The death of a king: How Richard III came to be under a Leicester car park
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