In 2021, ULAS excavated 96 trenches on land north of Quorn in Leicestershire ahead of proposed development of the site which sits on the floor of the Soar valley, immediately west of the river’s current course. The evaluative work highlighted the presence of archaeological deposits across the site with finds dating to the Middle to…
Tag: Iron Age
Monument, Memory and Myth
On 25 January 2025, a new exhibit celebrating identity, memory and community opens at Charnwood Museum, inspired by the amazing Bronze Age Cossington Necklace. The necklace was found by ULAS archaeologists in 1999. To coincide with the exhibition, ULAS Deputy Director John Thomas explores the Bronze Age setting of the discovery. Use and re-use of…
The Iron Age landscape of Leicester City’s new football training ground
In 2018, University of Leicester archaeologists carried out excavations at the former Park Hill Golf Club in Seagrave, near Loughborough, in advance of Leicester City’s redevelopment of the site as a new football training ground. Site director Leon Hunt reports: Little was known about the archaeology of the area prior to this work. The Historic…
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:…
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…
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….
Unique Iron Age shield found by Leicester archaeologists
The 2,300-year-old bark shield is the only one of its kind ever found in Europe A unique bark shield from the Iron Age has been discovered by archaeologists from the University of Leicester, the only one of its kind ever found in Europe. The shield, which measured 670 x 370mm in the ground, was found…
Digging for Britain
A University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) excavation, will feature on BBC4’s Digging for Britain on Wednesday 19 December at 9.00pm. Over the winter of 2013 and 2014, ULAS excavated an archaeological site at Glenfield Park, Leicester. As well as being an important site locally and nationally, the discovery of a large amount of metalwork, including 11…
2018 in 12 Images: Year in Review
We’ve excavated on a wide range of projects in 2018. Here we showcase 12 images taken throughout the year, highlighting our main discoveries, click on the images to read more from each project.
Living with cauldrons – Iron Age feasting at Glenfield Park
A unique collection of Iron Age metal artefacts which sheds new light on feasting rituals among prehistoric communities has been discovered by archaeologists from the University of Leicester during an excavation at Glenfield Park, Leicestershire. The team, from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), has located a trove of ancient treasures at the site,…
Iron Age settlement found near Welford, Northamptonshire
ULAS archaeologists have recovered Iron Age pottery and found evidence of a roundhouse at Welford in Northamptonshire. Last year, an initial nine trench evaluation of a site at Newlands Road in Welford identified several features of Iron Age date including ditches, pits and a narrow gully. The site has now been stripped of soil under…
University archaeologists nominated for national research award
Burrough Hill Project up for Current Archaeology Awards. University of Leicester archaeologists are in the running for a hat-trick of awards having been nominated in the ‘Research Project of the Year’ category for the prestigious Current Archaeology Awards for the second time in recent years. In 2013 the award was won by the Greyfriars Project…
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