Kaolan Magee, CNN
London (CNN) — An “incredibly rare” Roman mausoleum has been discovered beneath a structure in south London, archaeologists said.
A team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) made the discovery in Southwark, near the south bank of the Thames.
MOLA described it in a “the most intact Roman mausoleum ever found in Britain”, with an interior floor and a “striking mosaic”.
The discovery was made by excavating a planned structure site near the tourist spots of Borough Market and London Bridge.
Antonietta Lerz, senior archaeologist at MOLA, told CNN: “The discovery of a mausoleum with such a clever conservation point was actually the icing on the cake and is a vital addition to our understanding of this dominance of Roman period London. . “
Among the Roman ruins were a hundred coins, pottery fragments and tiles. The domain surrounding the mausoleum also contained more than 80 Roman burials, which included non-public pieces such as copper bracelets and glass beads. However, archaeologists have not discovered any of the coffins that would once have been inside the structure.
Archaeologists used the mausoleum for wealthier members of Roman society, who paid to be buried inside.
In 2017, an excavation near the site exposed a Roman sarcophagus. The stone coffin was later exhibited at the Museum of London.
And in February last year, Roman mosaics some 1,800 years old were found at the site.
Catherine Rose, adviser to the London Borough of Southwark, paid tribute to the “ingenuity and artistic brilliance” of the Roman finds, saying in a statement: “The rediscovery of this Roman mausoleum and mosaics is a testament to the tapestry of our past. “”
Now that excavation is complete, offices and houses will be built on the site. The mausoleum will be restored and put on public display, Landsec Developers, co-owner of the site, told CNN.
El-CNN-Wire™
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