The Archaeology of Leicester in 20 Digs

Leicester is one of the most intensely excavated historic cities in the country, resulting in many fantastic archaeological discoveries comprising a rich array of ancient buildings, objects, and the remains of the people who once lived in Leicester’s Roman and medieval past. The city’s heritage hit the global headlines with the discovery of King Richard III below a car park in 2012 but look beyond this and there is much more to learn.

This book takes the reader on a journey from Leicester’s Iron Age origins along the riverbank to its establishment as a Roman town and Civitas Capital with large public buildings and spaces, along with lavish townhouses featuring fine mosaics. After Roman rule, the ruinous former city was still lived in with evidence for rarely found Anglo-Saxon buildings. Later, the medieval town has evidence for houses, a brewery, monastic buildings, cemeteries, and the burial of King Richard III.

The Archaeology of Leicester in 20 Digs selects twenty of the most important archaeological sites and celebrates the discoveries from over 100 years of investigations, which have transformed our understanding of the city’s rich 2,000-year history. This book includes the most recent discoveries, and newest interpretations, with Leicester’s heritage presented in a fresh and accessible way, with photographs, illustrations, and links to provide a gateway to further reading.