Ancient Roman Ruins Found Under London’s Financial District

Under London’s financial district, which is dominated by glass-and-steel towers, archeologists recently uncovered massive stone foundations belonging to a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman basilica, or government building.

“This is one of the most significant discoveries made in the City in recent years,” said Sophie Jackson, director of developer services at the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), in a statement. “It’s like discovering the Speaker’s Chair and chamber of the House of Commons, 2,000 years into the future.”

Built around 80 CE, this basilica wasn’t just any Roman structure – it was the administrative, judicial, and commercial hub of Roman London – then known as Londinium.

Researchers believe that on this spot, magistrates handed down rulings, merchants conducted business, and political leaders made decisions that shaped the city’s future.

What makes the find even more remarkable is how much of the structure has survived centuries of development. The excavation revealed walls more than 30 feet long and foundations about 13 feet deep, constructed from flint, ragstone, and Roman tile.

The team believes they’ve uncovered a section of the tribunal – the raised platform where officials once handled legal and political matters.

The excavation is part of a redevelopment project aimed at integrating the Roman remains into the new building to create a public exhibition space similar to the nearby London Mithraeum, which houses a Roman temple discovered under Bloomberg’s headquarters.

If approved, the site could open to visitors by 2029, offering Londoners and tourists alike a rare chance to stand where Roman officials once governed nearly two millennia ago.

“For something so important to the history of London to survive so much development over so many centuries is really remarkable,” Jane Sidell, principal inspector for ancient monuments at Historic England, told NPR. “You can read all you like, you can watch ‘Gladiator’ at the cinema, but when you actually physically come face-to-face with something that’s been there that connection with a nearly 2,000-year-old legacy is amazing.”