2,000-year-old remains of London’s oldest Roman basilica discovered under office building

Archaeologists have discovered the 2,000-year-old remains of London’s first civic basilica, a large roofed structure used for public assemblies and court hearings. The basilica, whose newly excavated foundations and walls were found in the basement of a commercial building in London, was the first of its kind in Roman Britain.

“This is one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years,” Sophie Jackson, director of development at the Museum of London Archaeology, said in a Feb. 13 statement. “The levels of preservation of the Basilica have far exceeded our expectations.”