York Minster

BBC News (York & North Yorkshire) have reported that a section of Roman road has been discovered during excavations underneath York Minster:

Archaeologists have unearthed a section of Roman road beneath York Minster.

The road was found during construction work for new visitor displays in the medieval minster’s undercroft.

The York Archaeological Trust said the road was probably a backstreet that ran behind the Roman basilica, the site the minster sits on.

The work in the undercroft is part of the £10.5m York Minster Revealed project due to be completed in May 2015.

It is the first time for 40 years that archaeologists have been permitted to work at the cathedral.

Patched and repaired

Ian Milsted, lead archaeologist at the trust, said: “It’s a huge privilege to be revealing pieces of the past in such an iconic building, all of it contributing to our picture of life in ancient York.”

He added the street, probably part of the Via Quintana, would have been used for several centuries and appears to have been frequently patched and repaired.

Roman York (Eboracum) was founded in AD71 and remained a major military and economic hub in Roman Britain until the early 5th Century.

The Dean of York, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, said: “While it was not as grandly paved as the main streets of Roman York, you can imagine that this backstreet, situated as it was between the Basilica and the Praetorium, was exactly the kind of place where the real business of the empire was done.

“It probably even witnessed the very first Christians on their way to worship.”

Archaeological analysis of all that York Archaeological Trust has uncovered during its work, including human remains found in March, will be published in February 2013.

H/T A Blog About History

16 Comments CherryPie on Dec 15th 2012

16 Responses to “Section of Roman Road Unearthed Beneath York Minster”

  1. jamsodonnell says:

    nice find but perhaps not surprising in Eboracum!

  2. ....peter:) says:

    A two thousand year old road without pot holes… they sure knew how to build them Cherie… you did a wonderful job of framing this scene….peter:)

  3. Astrid says:

    The Romans walked a long way from home. Amazing for that time. Absolute fabulous picture of the York Minster.
    We just had a fabulous Christmas meal with the family. :)

    • CherryPie says:

      The Romans did walk a long way from home. The world is a lot smaller now and we still walk a long way from home, but in a different way. York Minster is such and amazing building, I never tire of taking photos of it.

      I am so happy that you had wonderful time with your family :-) :-)

  4. I hope Time Team will show us more.
    Can’t wait…

  5. A city Spokane south of me (2 hour drive) also has a church like that called Saint John.

    Coffee is on.

  6. james higham says:

    I knew it! I just knew the Romans had been there.

  7. Ayush says:

    great shot and wonderful place. unfortunately i could spend only a short time there

  8. Barbara says:

    Love visiting York – so much to see and do and now some more. The Minster crypt I think is amazing and sitting in the choir stalls listening to evensong a high light for me.