Renovation of Local Store in England Accidentally Leads to Discovery of Rare Roman Artifacts: 'Unbelievable'

Archaeologists often find gems embedded in the most unexpected of places. This is what recently happened in the U.K., stated BBC. Researchers were astounded to unearth a massive collection of ancient items from Gloucester's Kings Square.

The discovery happened during the redevelopment of a former Debenhams store. The plan is to transform the store into a campus of the University of Gloucester. Experts confirmed that ancient skeletons, Roman artifacts, and cobblestones have been uncovered from the store. Researchers were taken aback by the findings and hope that it increases awareness about the Roman heritage of the region. "The site as a whole has the potential to increase public knowledge of the Roman, medieval, and post-medieval development of this part of Gloucester," Cliff Bateman, senior project officer at Cotswold Archaeology, added.

Past findings suggest that the site was once placed in the northeastern portion of an ancient Roman town. In total, 317 skeletons have been spotted at the store. Along with human remains, researchers have also uncovered the ruins of a possible Roman townhouse, 83 brick vaults, remnants of a 16th-century tobacco pipe, fragments of Roman pottery, and pieces of a wine bottle made in post-medieval times. The place where the human remains have been spotted has been deemed a burial space by experts. Researchers believe that in this burial spot, there were possibly several Roman buildings in the past.

Archaeologists claimed they had found pieces of a reticulated tracery church window from the site, stated the Gazette Series. The window was similar to one present in the east of the south transept of Gloucester Cathedral. The church window dates back to the 14th century, as per examinations. The Roman pottery was deemed to be from the 2nd century C.E. On the cobbled stone surface, archaeologists found many Roman roof tiles, which experts believe were used to construct an ancient road. The area in the store used for storing menswear contained the footings of a Roman wall. The walls appear to be the surviving part of a townhouse. The exploration was commissioned by the University of Gloucestershire, which brought Cotswold Archaeology on board for excavation.

Several brick vaults and a crypt were found to be related to St Aldate's Church, stated ITV News. The church was constructed in 1750 as a replacement for another church with the same name, elevated before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The church was possibly named after a bishop of Gloucester who breathed his last in a battle. Historians think the 1750 building was demolished sometime in the mid-17th Century, due to the blows it had sustained in the English Civil War.

This is not the first time archaeologists have excavated valuable findings from the area. "Gloucester is such a significant place in terms of archaeological study – it’s unbelievable underneath where we’ve found the 18th-century church and medieval and post-medieval burials, there will be Roman buildings in situ. Every time we work in Gloucester, we make new discoveries – it's a massively important place," Mr. Bateman said.