Roman cobblestones, centuries-old skeletons and millennia-old windows are among the artefacts turfed up under Worcester Cathedral, archaeologists have said.
The team, which has been digging underneath the more than 1,300-year-old cathedral ahead of landscaping works on Monday, announced their findings this week.
Alongside the aforementioned treasures, researchers have found the remnants of a long-lost Medieval bell tower - as well as the buried walls of a 12th-century crypt.
The cathedral’s archaeologist Fiona Keith-Lucas said her team had found “fantastic things” - while the cathedral’s website details how some of the discoveries provide “a rare glimpse” of Roman Worcester.
Pieces of pottery like this one were found in the Roman cobblestones at the ancient site
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Worcester can trace its history to the Neolithic period, but the Roman cobbles, and fragments of perfume bottles, decorative stamps, and coins from the time indicate the stone surface was out of use by the fourth century AD.
Some of the more recent finds like the skeletons, thought to date back to before the Victorian era, will require special care.
Researchers are set to pore over the centuries-old remains before the skeletons are “sensitively re-interred” in the cathedral’s charnel crypt, the cathedral says.
And other discoveries could help to shed more light on the site’s non-religious history.
MORE LIKE THIS:
- Romans may have brought bedbugs to Britain as parasites found near Hadrian's Wall
- Mystery uncovered as mass grave of 300 bodies including hundreds of children found in Oldham - as officials warn of nationwide cover-up
- Wine from ancient Rome found to have been slightly 'spicy' in landmark culture discovery
The Roman cobbles indicate the stone surface was out of use by the fourth century AD
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
The team found evidence of “light industrial activity” in a former works yard by the cathedral, including “significant quantities” of 14-16th-century window glass, blacksmithing waste and a pit of ochre.
Keith-Lucas said: “We found some fantastic things during enabling archaeology work.
“Because we know the area is so rich in archaeology, we have been doing the work largely in advance of the main contract so things will move smoothly on site and not be held up.”
Once the landscaping works get underway, she added, archaeologists will stay on the site working with developers to ensure that any further finds are excavated and recorded properly.
Researchers are set to pore over the centuries-old remains before the skeletons are “sensitively re-interred”
WORCESTER CATHEDRAL
But Keith-Lucas counselled: “These are just our preliminary findings... All artefacts are yet to be analysed, but we are getting a good feel for the site and its complexity.”
She added that the team is looking to be able to share their findings as soon as summer of 2025.
But until then, visitors to Worcester Cathedral can expect to see the construction of an "accessible, welcoming green space where the Cathedral and City come together" from Monday.