A possible Roman shrine has been discovered beneath Leicester Cathedral.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services have made an exciting discovery—an ancient Roman altar stone that is approximately 1,800 years old. The excavation took place at Leicester Cathedral, and it has provided valuable insights into the history of the area.
The project began in October 2021 and has yielded a wealth of archaeological information, allowing researchers to delve into the rarely investigated story of Leicester. The excavation aimed to answer questions regarding the founding of St Martin’s parish church and activities that took place on the site during the Roman period.
The excavations revealed over 1,100 burials spanning from the 11th to the mid-19th century, establishing with confidence that St Martin’s was founded in the late Saxon period. The analysis of these burials will provide unique insights into the lives of Leicester residents buried over the past millennium. It is essential to note that once the project is completed, all human remains will be reinterred respectfully by Leicester Cathedral.
In addition to the burials, rare evidence from the Anglo-Saxon period was also unearthed, including a potential building and the first Anglo-Saxon coin discovered in Leicester in almost two decades. If the building is confirmed to be Anglo-Saxon, it would be the first evidence of a structure from this period in that particular area, suggesting a more extensive post-Roman occupation in Leicester than previously believed.
However, the focus of attention during the excavations was on the Roman period beneath Leicester Cathedral. The team uncovered a cellar associated with a Roman building in the north-west quarter of the site. Within this cellar, they found the base of an altar stone, suggesting that the room may have served as a shrine or cult room during the Roman era.
The well-constructed cellar had painted stone walls, a concrete floor, and measured approximately four by four meters. The decorative paintwork indicates that it was used as a reception room rather than for storage. The cellar, believed to have been built in the 2nd century AD, was accessed through an external passageway with timber walls and a flagstone floor. It was intentionally dismantled and filled in during the late 3rd or 4th century. Among the debris, the broken base of the altar stone was discovered. Carved from local Dane Hills sandstone, the altar measured 25cm by 15cm and featured decorative mouldings on three sides.
The combination of the subterranean structure, painted walls, and the altar suggests that the room had a religious purpose. It is speculated that it may have been a private place of worship, either a family shrine or a cult room where a small group engaged in private worship. Such underground chambers are often associated with fertility and mystery cults, as well as the worship of gods like Mithras, Cybele, Bacchus, Dionysius, and the Egyptian goddess Isis. Unfortunately, no inscriptions were found on the altar, but it is believed to have been the central focus for sacrifices and offerings to the gods during religious ceremonies.
The discovery of the Roman altar at Leicester Cathedral holds significant importance for the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project. For centuries, a tradition has persisted suggesting that a Roman temple once stood on the site. While the origins of this tale have remained unclear, the presence of a potential Roman shrine, along with deliberate burials placed on top of its remains, followed by the construction of the church and its burial ground, raises intriguing questions. It is possible that this site held special significance during the Roman period, and traces of that significance may have endured through time.
As the project progresses, the analysis of the burials will provide further insights and help unravel more answers about the historical significance of Leicester Cathedral and its surrounding area.
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