Rare Discovery of Late Roman official and Precious Belt Buckle Unearthed in Leicester

Ancient Origins

Archaeologists from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) have recently excavated a Late Roman cemetery at Western Road in Leicester's West End. Amongst the 83 skeletons recorded by the team, one burial is proving to be very exciting.

The simple grave in question had been dug into mudstone on the west bank of the River Soar, to the south-west of the Roman town close to the important road known as the Fosse Way. Buried in the grave was the remains of a middle-aged man wearing an elaborately decorated belt in a style that would have been worn by a Late Roman soldier or civil servant during the second half of the 4th century or the early 5th century AD.
The find, which is rare in Britain, was positioned at the waist of the skeleton and comprises a belt buckle, belt plate and strap end.
Nick Cooper, Post-Excavation Manager at ULAS, said: "The survival of the delicate thin sheet bronze belt plate is remarkable. It is cast in the so-called 'chip-carved' style decorated with interlocking spirals and would have been riveted to a wide leather belt or girdle with a thinner securing strap running through the buckle and ending with the strap end."

The belt buckle with thin sheet bronze plate recovered in Leicester. Credit: University of Leicester

The buckle is decorated with dolphin heads and the strap end is decorated with crouching dogs on either side of its tapered end.
Parallels for this belt set have been found in other Late Roman cemeteries, for example in London, Dorchester on Thames and Winchester, and at the shore fort on the opposite side of the English Channel at Oudenburg in Belgium.
Research shows that these belts were worn across north-eastern France, Belgium, and along the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, running along the Rivers Rhine and Danube, where soldiers were stationed. There is some contemporary pictorial evidence to suggest that this type, specifically, was worn by members of the Late Roman military and civilian elite and that the belts were important symbols of authority.

Crouching dogs can be seen on either side of the strap end. Credit: University of Leicester.

The recent discovery at Western Road is the first occurrence of such a complex belt set in Roman Leicester. The belt's owner was aged between 36 and 45 when he died. He had survived poor health in childhood to lead a comparatively fit adult life but at some point he had fractured his left forearm; an injury that had healed well but left his wrist weakened. This type of injury is known as a 'parry fracture' and is typically caused by raising the arm to ward off a blow or a falling object. The man had also damaged muscles in his upper right arm and shoulder. Such injuries could possibly be caused by over-use, overextending the muscles with movements such as throwing and lifting. Whilst it is difficult to identify exactly what caused these injuries, they are consistent with those a soldier might suffer and reinforce the theory that this man was either a member of the late Roman army or, perhaps following retirement, became an important local civil servant.
The project is funded by Jamie Lewis Residential as part of the site's redevelopment. Excavation and analysis of the skeletal assemblage has been carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), York Osteoarchaeology Ltd., the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) and the British Geological Survey (BGS). The belt has been conserved by Graham Morgan.
Top image: The belt buckle is decorated with dolphin heads. Credit: University of Leicester
Source: University of Leicester. "Archeology: Rare discovery of Late Roman official buried in Leicester." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 July 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160707101031.htm

King’s cortege procession route announced for a ceremonial procession bringing King Richard III’s mortal remains to their final resting place in the heart of Leicester.

King’s cortege procession route announced

 PREPARATIONS are underway for a ceremonial procession bringing King Richard III’s mortal remains to their final resting place in the heart of Leicester.
The king’s mortal remains are due to be taken from the University of Leicester to the place of his death at Bosworth Field and then on to Leicester Cathedral for his reinterment next month, stopping along the way on places both in the city and the county which would have played a role in his life and death.
As part of that, thousands of residents and businesses along the route are being informed of how the spectacular commemorations will unfold and what arrangements are being made for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Organisers are expecting huge public interest in the procession, meaning a series of rolling road closures and special arrangements to ensure an unobstructed route through the city.
The king’s remains are being brought into the city at around 4.30pm on Sunday, March 22, coming in via the A47 to Bow Bridge – the site of the original bridge from which King Richard is believed to have ridden out to battle at Bosworth Field in 1485.
Following a short welcome to the city, the cortege will then visit the nearby medieval St Nicholas Church for a short service at 4.50pm (ticket only). It will leave there at approximately 5.15pm to travel through the city centre via High Street, the Clock Tower, Gallowtree Gate, Halford Street, Rutland Street, Pocklingtons Walk and Grey Friars.
At around 5.45pm the king’s coffin will be handed over to the care of Leicester Cathedral, where it will lie in repose until his reinterment on Thursday, March 26.
Letters are being sent out today to residents and businesses along the route, telling them of road closures, parking restrictions and other temporary arrangements needed for the procession.
A number of events and services are taking place from March 21 to March 29 across the city as part of the reinterment, which will also have implications for traffic, travel and those living and working in the city centre.
On Thursday, March 26, King Richard III will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral in a spectacular ceremony attended by guests and media from across the world.
Finally, on Friday, March 27, the sealed tomb will be revealed to the public for the first time – an event also expected to lead to a huge number of visitors to the city.
Both events will involve temporary road closures, restrictions on waiting and parking, disruption to deliveries and the need to keep key routes around the cathedral free from street furniture and clutter.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The story of King Richard has caught the imagination of people across the world, and the events next month mean Leicester will once again be at the centre of international media attention.
“We also realise that for many people living and working near to the cathedral or the procession route, the sheer scale of such an event is going to mean disruption and changes to their normal working day.
“There will be road closures, additional security and thousands of extra people visiting the city during that time, as well as a huge media presence over that period.
“We’re writing to all residents and businesses in the city likely to be affected by this, so we can explain the arrangements for those few days and give them time to ask questions and make alternative plans if need be.
“I would hope people across the city make the most of this extraordinary occasion and help us to make it go smoothly, to create an event of which we can be justifiably proud.”
People are being asked to note that all timings are approximate.
you can read our FAQ’s about the reinterment route at www.leicester.gov.uk/reinterment

King Richard in Leicester

Mysterious Stone Carving May Contain Old Message

by Owen Jarus
Live Science

James Balme, an archaeologist and TV presenter, discovered this stone carving in a garden in Leicester, England, where it was up for sale as a garden ornament. He recognized it was no ordinary ornament and purchased it. Credit: James Balme View full size image

A weighty stone carved with a mysterious pattern that may be writing has been discovered in a garden in Leicester, England.
The hefty carving was up for sale as a garden ornament when archaeologist and TV presenter James Balme found it. The carving, which was very dirty, may have been plowed up many years ago, Balme said. Despite the carving's poor shape, he thought it was no ordinary ornament; so he purchased it and carefully cleaned it.
When he was done conserving it, Balme saw a stone carving with an extremely complex pattern that is difficult to describe. It's possible the "pattern carved may be some form of writing," Balme told Live Science in an email. The carving's use is unknown, though it could be "a keystone from an archway or indeed a vaulted ceiling," Balme said. [7 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth]

The carving, which weighs between 55 and 65 pounds (25 and 30 kilograms), appears to be made out of a hard form of sandstone, Balme said. It's wide at its base but get narrower toward the top. It stands about 18 inches (46 centimeters) high and is 5.5 inches (14 cm) thick. Its decorations are entirely on the front face "although it does have many chisel marks on the sides and back," he said.

The carving, shown here after it was restored, may date back to the Anglo-Saxon period, between the fifth and 11th centuries A.D.
Credit: James Balme

View full size image

The date of the carving is uncertain. Balme says that it may date to the Anglo-Saxon period, which started in 410 when the Roman Empire abandoned Britain, and lasted until 1066, when a group called the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, invaded England.
During the Anglo-Saxon period several different groups migrated to England. These people created fine works of art such as complex stone carvings, some of which survive today. Literature also flourished at this time, the poem "Beowulf" being one of the most famous works from this period.
Although an Anglo-Saxon date for the stone carving is a distinct possibility, Balme cannot be certain. Questions also remain as to what exactly the carving was used for and whether the pattern may represent some form of writing. Balme has taken to Twitter, seeking help to unravel the carving's mysteries.
Garden ornament archaeology

Photo enhancement of the carving sheds more light on the pattern and Balme wonders if this could be some form of writing.
Credit: James Balme

View full size image

"Garden ornament" may conjure up images of tacky gnomes or other modern-day items. However, over the past few years archaeologists studying garden ornaments have made several interesting discoveries. In 2009, the BBC reported on a garden ornament in Dorset that turned out to be an ancient Egyptian terracotta vase.
Another, more spectacular, example of garden ornament archaeology comes from the modern-day town of Migdal located near the Sea of Galilee in Israel. A team of archaeologists studied ancient architectural remains in Migdal that were being reused as garden ornaments or chairs. These remains aided them in discovering an ancient town, which would have flourished at the time of Christ.
So the next time you see an old garden ornament that seems out of place, remember, you may be looking at an interesting piece of history.

Richard III visitor centre in Leicester opens its doors to the public

Visitors to the £4.5m centre will see a replica skeleton of the Plantagenet king and the grave that held his body for 500 years

Maev Kennedy

The Richard III Visitor Centre will showcase the king's life, reign and gruesome death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Photograph: Christian Dezelu

In the heart of Leicester, visitors will be invited to gaze down through a pane of glass into a rough oblong hole in the ground: the grave that for more than 500 years held the body of the last Plantagenet king, Richard III.
An outline of the skeleton with the twisted spine is projected on to the red-brown earth. The pit also holds the yellow pegs used by the excavators from the University of Leicester archaeology service in August 2012 to mark a discovery that would make front-page news around the world.
The city council now hopes the crowds who followed the story so avidly will come to its £4.5m visitor centre, opening to the public on Saturday. The attraction tells the tale of Richard's life, brief reign and death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the discovery of his hastily dug and slightly too small grave in what had been the choir of the long-vanished Greyfriars church.
The sound of diggers, hammers, and chisels clatters in the narrow surrounding streets: new gardens are being created, flowers planted, expensive stone paving laid, benches and explanatory plaques installed. Next spring, when Richard is reburied in a handsome new tomb in the cathedral just 100 yards away and a display on medieval Leicester is installed in the Guildhall, the transformation of the most historic quarter of the city will be complete.
"We're expecting visitors from all over the world, but I certainly think everyone in Leicester will want to come, and I hope it will become very much part of the fabric of the city, so that when any friends or relatives visit, the first thing people will want to do is bring them here," said Iain Gordon, director of the centre.
Even before the press conference in February last year when, after months of tests, the university announced "beyond reasonable doubt" that they had found Richard, the council had taken a leap of faith and bought the freehold of a Victorian school building that had stood empty and decaying across the road from the cathedral since 2008.
When the archaeologists dug up broken stones with Gothic carving there, they first thought they'd found part of a great medieval window that would once have lit the king's grave. In fact, they came from a demolished school outbuilding.
Although generations of children had played unknowingly over the ruins of the church, the grave lay just on the other side of their playground wall, under the tarmac of a council-owned car park. That has now been joined to the former school and the grave sheltered in a stone and glass building.
As well as replicas of the skeleton and the skull, Richard's head has been recreated as it is believed to have looked in life. The displays include the union jack-patterned Hunter wellies worn at the site by Philippa Langley, the author and member of the Richard III Society, which raised the money and persuaded the university archaeologists to take on the search.
Nearby there are the hard hat and high-vis jacket worn by Mathew Morris when he found Richard's bones in the first hour of the first day – and buried them again for later study, assuming they would prove to be of no particular interest.
There is also a photograph of Richard Buckley, the excavation project director, eating a hard-hat-shaped biscuit. When he launched the project, Buckley was so convinced they'd find nothing except a few traces of the lost friary – if they were lucky – that he promised to eat his hat if they found the king. His team baked him a more palatable alternative.
The displays also explain a story that casts a dark shadow over Richard's reign: how his brother's young sons, whom he declared illegitimate in order to claim the crown, vanished in the Tower of London. However, it leaves open the question of whether they were actually killed on Richard's orders.
"Did Richard kill the little princes in the Tower? My position is that I sit firmly on the fence," Buckley said. "What I will say is that Richard was probably no better and no worse than any other late medieval king."
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/22/richard-iii-visitor-centre-leicester

The Wizard of Notts Recommends: Richard III Leicester's Search for a King. Saturday 25th May 2013, 10am to 4:30pm at The Guildhall

http://www.leicestereventsguide.com/events/35438

FREE EVENT
Richard III Leicester's Search for a king

Saturday 25th May 2013, 10am to 4:30pm at The Guildhall

 

Richard III Leicester's Search for a King. The Guildhall, in the shadow of Leicester Cathedral, hosts a major exhibition telling the story of King Richard III, his life and times and the search for his lost remins. Richard III: Leicester's Search for a King offers visitors an explanation of the findings of the 2012 Grey Friars excavation and details the evidence that proves the skeleton found belonged to King Richard III. Extended hours from Monday 27th May - Sunday 2nd June & Monday 15th July - Wednesday 28th August - 10.00 - 17.00

 

 

 

Telephone:

0116 253 2569

Email:

museums@leicester.gov.uk

Web:

leicester.gov.uk

Address:

Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ