Today's blog includes a short 10 minute video about ancient Roman ruins discovered in London, and a related article about part of that find, an ancient Roman Basilica!
(Image: Rendering of the Roman forum in the early 3rd century. Photo: © Mike Codd / Leicester Museums and Galleries.)The VIDEO: The Ancient Roman City Underneath London
by Architectural Digest | Staff.
An outpost of the Roman Empire, called Londinium, existed in what is now the heart of London. Though it was abandoned by 450 CE, remnants of the 2,000-year-old city still remain.
Today, AD joins architect Nick Potts in London to uncover the city’s ancient Roman origins. Before London, there was Londinium, the capital of Roman Britain, and although it was abandoned by AD 450, the influence and some remnants of the ancient city still remain. Join Pott’s as he explores how modern London rose up from Roman ruins.
Archaeologists Unearth London’s First Roman Basilica in ‘Amazing’ Discovery
The ruins of the structure were found beneath the basement of an office building.
ARTNET, April , 2025
Archaeologists in London found the remains of the city’s first basilica underneath the basement of an office building set to be demolished. Dubbed “the beating heart of Roman London,” it has been deemed one of the most important finds from the city’s Roman history.
The discovery of the 2,000-year-old building, at 85 Gracechurch Street, was revealed by researchers with the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) to the BBC.
VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/j_-JnvuAeVI?si=q8-6NSXq4xbhImxD
“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,” Sophie Jackson from the MOLA told the BBC. “It’s just amazing.”
Built around 70 C.E.–80 C.E., just a few decades after the Romans invaded and founded Londinium, the forum housing the basilica is believed to have been located on a high point in the city to emphasize the government’s power and authority. Spanning the size of a soccer field, it served as a venue for administration and commerce and housed a courtyard that hosted community activities, per MOLA. Earlier research had determined an approximate location for the ancient basilica, though archaeologists were unsure how much of the building had survived. They set to work digging test pits and got lucky on their third attempt after burrowing between a section of filing cabinets. So far, the team has excavated sections of limestone wall that formed the base of the two-story basilica.
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