Norwich, UK
A decade ago, Leicester Cathedral caught the attention of the world when the body of King Richard III, killed in the 1485 Battle of Bosworth, was reburied within the cathedral after his body was discovered in a carpark across the road.
Now Leicester Cathedral has hit the headlines again when a unique religious subterranean building was found buried next to the cathedral’s eastern end complete with part of an altar stone dating back to Roman times.
The site of the excavation next to the cathedral where a new heritage and learning centre is being built. PICTURE: University of Leicester Archaeological School
“The discoveries add credence to the long-held belief that the site was a place of worship from the pre-Christian, early Christian eras, right up until the modern day,” commented Rev Canon Alison Adams, Leicester Cathedral’s canon pastor.
The excavations on a site formerly occupied by what was known as the old Song School uncovered more than 1,100 burials from the 11th century to the mid-19th century, as well as rare evidence from the Anglo-Saxon period, including a potential building.
In the final stages of the excavations, archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeology School were digging approximately three metres below the current ground level when they discovered evidence of a well-made Roman subterranean structure with painted stone walls and a concrete floor.
It is believed that the room was built in the 2nd century AD, and was deliberately dismantled and infilled in the late 3rd or 4th century. Within that space, the team made a further unusual discovery – the remains of an altar stone that would have been placed against the wall. Other finds included personal items such as an intact hairpin, Roman coins from the 4th century and pottery decorated with a variety of mythical scenes.
“What we’re looking at here is a private place of worship, either a family shrine or a cult room where a small group of individuals shared worship,” commented Matthew Morris, who is leading the dig. “Underground chambers like this have often been linked with fertility and mystery cults and the worship of gods such as Mithras, Cybele, Bacchus, Dionysis and Isis. Sadly no evidence of an inscription survived on our altar, but it would have been a key part of their religious ceremonies.”
Archaeological finds: top – a shard of Roman decorated Samian ware pottery depicting a griffin; and, bottom – an altar stone base found among the rubble infilling the Roman cellar at Leicester Cathedral. PICTURE: University of Leicester Archaeological School
Morris said that for centuries “there has been a tradition that a Roman temple once stood on the site of the present cathedral”.
“The origins of this story have always been unclear but given that we’ve found a potential Roman shrine, along with burials deliberately interred on top, and then the church and its burial ground on top of that, are we seeing a memory of this site being special that has survived to the present day?”
Simon Bentley, project director for Leicester Cathedral Revealed, commented that the extent of the Roman finds and the sheer number of burials “has been more than we expected”.
All the finds have now been removed for conservation, allowing construction work to go ahead. A new building is being created in a £12.65 milliion project to provide visitor facilities, a ground floor exhibition space explaining the cathedral’s local, national and international links as well as a first floor learning and educational space.
The cathedral has been closed for the past year to allow building work for the Leicester Cathedral Revealed Project to be undertaken.
The exterior of the building has undergone considerable restoration, while inside a new floor complete with underfloor heating has been added and the lighting improved. It is hoped that the cathedral will reopen later this year.
Work on the new extension building begins shortly, and is due for completion in 2024.
