A 2,000-year-old “extremely unique” Roman tomb has emerged from the rubble of a development site in central London, making it the most intact tomb ever discovered in the United Kingdom.
Both mosaics are made of small red tiles and depict a flower surrounded by concentric circles.
The grand tomb still retains low walls, an entrance staircase, and an interior floor adorned with two mosaics made of small red tiles, each featuring a flower encircled by concentric circles. Over 100 coins were also scattered across the tomb floor.
According to reports, the tomb originally contained a coffin and other scientifically described burial artifacts, but nothing has been recovered from the structure itself. However, the excavation area surrounding the site has yielded Roman items belonging to over 80 graves, including bronze bracelets, pottery, and a bone comb.
Archaeologists discovered the second mosaic only after digging beneath the first one. This indicates that the tomb floor had been raised at least once while it was still in use for burials.
According to the archaeological team, only wealthy members of society had access to the tomb, which may have been used as a family burial site or belonged to a “burial club”, requiring a monthly fee to secure a future burial plot.
The Roman invaders under Emperor Claudius established London, known as Londinium, around 47 AD and ruled the city until the early fifth century, when dwindling military resources and invasions across the rest of the empire forced them to withdraw from Britain.
Archaeologists will now examine the recovered items to gain a better understanding of the Roman past of central London.
