The real Peggy Piggot

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Following the release of Netflix’s ‘The Dig’ earlier this year, it seems fitting to celebrate an archaeologist from the story of Sutton Hoo, that some have argued may have been misrepresented in the film – esteemed female…

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Modern Women in Archaeology: Views from 2021

International Women’s Day has been celebrated on the 8th of March each year, since the first gathering was held in 1911. The theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge. The day is used to promote equality and illuminate women’s achievements in many different fields. Last year ULAS took a look at two pioneering female archaeologists who were…

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Burrough Hill Iron Age Hillfort Self-Guided Walk

Location: Burrough Hill Country Park, Somerby Road, Burrough on the Hill, LE14 2QZ Walk length: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km Gradient: Moderate, farm track from Car Park and pasture inside the hillfort (the route can be muddy, so appropriate footwear is advised) Parking: Yes, car park accessed from Somerby Road, toilets available, £2.50 charge NB:…

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Buried Bouskell Self-Guided Circular Walk

Location: Bouskell Park, Welford Road, Blaby LE18 4FT Walk length: 0.5 miles / 0.8 km Gradient: Level and moderate, gravel path Parking: Yes, car park accessed from Welford Road Download a printable version of the walk here (pdf, 1.84mb). Welcome to Bouskell Park. I’m Mathew Morris from University of Leicester Archaeological Services and I’m the…

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Boundaries and roundhouses at Enderby

In 2016, ULAS carried out work on a large five-hectare excavation at Leicester Lane, Enderby, on the western edge of Leicester close to the M1. An extensive and rich Prehistoric site was identified. Project Officer Wayne Jarvis reports: The site covered an area of land that included lower lying flat ground and a slope up…

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New Roman Leicester website launches

ULAS and the University of Leicester School of Archaeology and Ancient History are pleased to announce the launch, today, of a new website romanleicester.com. Walk through Leicester today and it is often hard to imagine that we are treading on over 2,000 years of history. But now, with more than 80 years of archaeological excavations…

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ULAS director Richard Buckley retires

31st May 2020 marks the retirement of Dr Richard Buckley, Director of University of Leicester Archaeological Services after 40 years as a professional archaeologist. Nick Cooper, Project Manager at ULAS reflects on the career of Leicester’s foremost expert on the City’s Roman and medieval past. Richard’s career has encompassed all the large-scale excavations that have…

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Leir of Leicester: The archaeology behind the legend

We have recently had a couple of enquires about the link between King Leir and the Jewry Wall and thought we would take a closer look. ULAS Project Officer Mathew Morris investigates… One of Leicester’s most enduring legends is that of King Leir, the tragic king made famous by William Shakespeare’s titular play. Leir was a…

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A Roman water tank at Jewry Wall Museum

Last autumn, a small team of archaeologists from ULAS found themselves burrowing beneath the floor of the once-bustling Jewry Wall museum in the heart of Roman Leicester. Site director Jennifer Browning reports: This was the site of the Roman town’s public baths and was the first large-scale archaeological excavation in Leicester, undertaken by Kathleen Kenyon…

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Bronze Age burial and Roman farming at Waltham on the Wolds

In the spring of 2019 ULAS undertook an archaeological excavation on the southern fringes of Waltham on the Wolds, a picturesque Leicestershire village 5 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray. Initial investigations in late 2018 had highlighted the potential for considerable Roman archaeology on the site, which was subject to a planning application for residential development….

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