Ancient Leicester Unearthed: A Layered Archaeological Treasure

0:00This is Corey, keeping Lester in the know, you're listening to Lester News today. Archaeologists from the University of Lester just wrapped up a major dig under the city's bustling marketplace. They uncovered remains spanning the Bronze Age, Roman period, and Middle Ages, including a dark dungeon inside a 16th century civic building. This worked ties into a 7,500,000-pound project by Lester City Council to revamp the market square. Digging in such a crowded city center spot was a rare chance to explore deep history without major disruptions. The team found traces of early market stalls, post holes, and pebble services for medieval trade zones, like the shambles for butchers and the drapery for cloth sellers. They also discovered a Roman infants grave under a timber building about 1800 years old, plus coins, pottery, bones, and a leather shoe. Project lead, Dr. Gavin Speed called it a layered archaeological treasure, revealing 2,000 years of town growth.

1:01City Mayor Peter Solzby praised the fines for exceeding hopes and shedding light on Lester's evolution from Roman settlement to later eras. Field work is complete, but detailed analysis of artifacts comes next, with plans to publish results and display key pieces publicly. The new market square aims to open by the end of 2026. D&N is sponsored by our partner, check out the episode description, your pillow, your podcast, your moment, made for listening and bed, S-O-L-I.