Ace History Desk – Archaeologists from the Museum of London have discovered a well-preserved part of the ancient city of London’s first Roman basilica underneath the basement of an office block. The basilica was constructed for use as a public building in the 70s or early 80s AD:

Here’s what it reveals about the ancient city

In a Roman town, a basilica was a multi-functional civic building. Often paid for by leading local inhabitants, it provided a large indoor space for public gatherings. These ranged from political speeches to judicial proceedings. 

Along with the connected forum – an arrangement of buildings that surrounded an open courtyard space – the building formed the centre of administrative and civic life in the ancient Roman  

Other walls of London’s basilica and forum have been known by archaeologists since the early 1880s. But they were only recognised as remains of the social and civic centre of Londinium in 1093.

The story until now

In his 1987 work, Peter Marsden, *The Roman Forum Site in London*, meticulously curated fragmented evidence about the various developmental stages of the Forum Basilica complex in London.

Regarding the ongoing excavations on Gracechurch Street, it was noted that over fifty per cent—of the archaeological deposits remain intact and require thorough and meticulous excavation at the appropriate time. It is only through this comprehensive analysis that the historical narrative of the site can be fully revealed.

Occasional opportunities have arisen to reveal small parts of the Forum Basilica. For example, some important remains from the first century were found during the construction of a shaft to install a lift at 85 Gracechurch Street.

In contrast, the recent work is part of a major redevelopment. It has opened targeted excavation areas where walls of the basilica were expected to be found, exposing substantial parts of the building. 

Archaeologists have found one-metre-wide foundations and walls of the interior, some of which probably extend for more than 10 metres. The walls are constructed of flint, tile, and Kentish ragstone (a type of limestone quarried in Kent), and some stand four metres high. Archaeologists discussing the find.

What was the basilica for?

The city did not have a monumental forum and basilica complex until later, however, when a major programme of public and private construction was undertaken in the Flavian period (AD69–96).

London’s Flavian basilica took the plan of a long rectangle (44m x 22.7m) divided into three aisles. There from the deeper central aisle (nave) wall foundations that the nave roof was raised to two storeys to allow for windows to provide internal light. 

Shallow foundations crossing the nave are or platform at the eastern end. The speaker or judge would sit there, elevated above the crowds, increasing his ability and status. This platform, or “tribunal”, is the area that has recently been revealed.

The basilica would have risen above the north side of the buildings that formed the forum courtyard. It would have dominated the high ground of this monumental space at the highly visible crossroads leading straight up from the Roman Thames bridge. 

It would have been the largest building in the area and firmly announced that the people of Londinium were constructing a high-status Roman city. 

Rebuilding following the British queen Boudica’s revolt. The post-revolt fort was built only 100 metres or so down, and people were ready to embark on a new phase and a significant expansion of the urban centre.

The designs of late first-century forum basilica complexes varied across the provinces. But generally, they combined religious, civic, judicial and mercantile space. 

In places like Pompeii, the forum had developed over time. But, when the town was buried by the ash of Vesuvius in AD79 (approximately the same time the forum basilica of London was built), the focus of the elongated monumental space was the Temple of Jupiter, symbol of the Roman state. 

Although a classical temple was constructed to the west of the exterior of Londinium’s Flavian Forum, it was clearly separate. No forum in Britannia was dominated by a temple, setting the core of urban space in this province apart from most examples in the rest of the empire. 

The Flavian basilica and forum were only used for about 20 to 30 years. As prosperity increased in the early second century, they were demolished and replaced by a new structure that was five times larger. The remains of the basilica were left buried beneath the surface of the water courtyard

Museum of London Archaeology will now analyse and publish the results of its find, applying modern methods to advance our understanding of the development of the first forum basilica. We can expect refined dating evidence and an improved understanding of the architecture from the post-excavation analyses. An exhibition space to make the remains visible for the public is also planned.

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