So far, our blogs have focused on the archaeological work for the Cathedral’s new heritage learning centre. This is only one part of the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project, and in his latest blog excavation director Mathew Morris updates us on the archaeological work going on inside the Cathedral. Our work inside the Cathedral is what…
Tag: Leicester
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – A tragic case of manslaughter
BREAKING NEWS (well, 185 years ago!). We have an update about Leicester Cathedral Revealed’s first named individual, John Wilson Ottey. Site director Mathew Morris previously wrote about John Ottey last November and further research in newspaper archives has brought to light a tragic incident when he was a young man. The Leicestershire Mercury reported events…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – Telling Leicester’s life stories
What can we learn from human skeletons and what do we want to learn from the individuals excavated from Leicester Cathedral? In our next blog, Dr Sarah Inskip from the University of Leicester, and Project Leader for the Tobacco Health and History project, explains what we hope to learn from the burials excavated during the…
Leicester archaeologists expand excavations at Leicester Cathedral site
The team behind the discovery of Richard III have resumed major archaeological excavations at Leicester Cathedral, close to where the King was found. Archaeologists and other experts from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) are leading excavations on the site of the Old Song School, at the eastern end of Leicester Cathedral, which could reveal…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – Church walls and hints of Roman remains
Over the past couple of months, we have been on site at the Cathedral intermittently monitoring the construction of the piling wall and other footings for the new Heritage Learning Centre. This work has given us a tantalising preview of what might lie beneath the graveyard. Site director Mathew Morris provides a new update… The…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – It’s the coffin they’ll carry you off in
Time for another update from Leicester Cathedral Revealed. At present we are waiting to resume our excavation at Leicester Cathedral. Work hasn’t stopped, however, and over the past couple of months we’ve been on site as needed monitoring groundwork for the installation of the piling wall for the new Heritage Learning Centre. Work is also…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – Anne Barratt (1786-1855)
Happy New Year everyone, and welcome back to our Leicester Cathedral Revealed updates. We have been back on site for a couple of weeks and we have now wrapped up Phase 1 of the excavation with a total of 124 burials excavated. Work has now moved back to construction and we will be back in…
Digging for Britain: Leicester archaeology projects to feature on BBC
Projects led by Leicester archaeologists are to be showcased on the new series of BBC Two’s primetime TV series Digging for Britain in the New Year. Three University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) projects from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are to feature on the latest series, presented by Professor Alice Roberts. The major discovery…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – One person’s rubbish is an archaeologist’s treasure!
Work to excavate the higher burials at Leicester Cathedral has now paused for Christmas, with the count currently at 87. We had hoped to have completed the excavation this year but there are at least a dozen more burials to lift and we will be back for a short time in the New Year to…
Leicester Cathedral Revealed – archaeological excavation begins at Leicester Cathedral
University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) are delighted to announce that we have been appointed archaeological contractors for the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project. Now that the Old Song School has been demolished we have a team of archaeologists on site monitoring ground works including the removal of old foundations and the installation of trench sheeting and the contiguous piled…
New book explores life in Roman and Medieval Leicester
The most comprehensive book ever written on the archaeology of Leicester has been published by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS). Walking through Leicester today it is difficult to appreciate that beneath its streets lie the remains of a 2,000-year-old settlement; beginning in the late Iron Age and subsequently re-shaped by a succession of Roman,…
Thrown to the Lions? New evidence revealed for the use of lions during executions in Roman Britain
Archaeologists in Leicester have discovered an elaborately-decorated Roman bronze key handle portraying the execution of captives in the arena by throwing them to lions. The handle portrays a ‘Barbarian’ grappling with a lion, together with four naked youths cowering in terror. The key handle was discovered by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), buried below…
ULAS News 