'Remarkable' discoveries under Leicester market as dig ends

Archaeological excavations that uncovered the remains of a "vile" medieval dungeon under Leicester's market place have been completed. A team from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) has been working on the site since July and discovered artefacts from the Bronze Age, the Roman era and Middle Ages. The dig, part of a £7.5m project by Leicester City Council to create a new market square, has offered a unique opportunity to work in a busy city centre site, archaeologists said. They previously revealed they had found a 16th Century civic building with its own dungeon and have now released details of further discoveries. Among the oldest finds were a small collection of prehistoric worked flints, including cutting tools characteristic of the Neolithic period, about 12,000 years ago. They also included a hoard of about 30 Roman coins, thought to be from the 4th Century, and several Roman buildings across the site, including evidence of early timber structures and rare pottery kilns. ULAS said it had also found the grave of a Roman infant beneath the floor of a timber building thought to be nearly 1,800 years old. Also discovered during the excavations was evidence

Mar 16, 2026 → Mar 16, 2026