Archaeologists have discovered physical evidence of an ancient Roman road during excavations during the early stages of extending low-carbon heating to thousands of homes along London’s Old Kent Road.
Waiting Street was built shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, according to a Wednesday press release from the London Borough of Southwark.
Prior to this discovery, there was little evidence to support the exact route of the ancient Roman road.
Excavations of London’s Old Kent Road have revealed a Roman route beneath the current street. (© MOLA 2024)
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Archaeologists believed they knew where ancient roads were because Roman roads had a common feature: they were traditionally straight.
Part of the 2,000-year-old route was constructed under what is now the Old Kent Road by a team of archaeologists from the Museum of London Archeology (MOLA) on behalf of Veolia and archaeological consultant RPS (Tetra Tech Company). It is said that it was discovered in press release.
“The discovery of an intact section of Roman Waiting Street, just below the present-day Old Kent Road, redrawn the Roman road map of Southwark and provided information about Roman construction techniques in general. “This is an important discovery for archaeological research,” said Gillian King. RPS Director of Archeology, according to the release.
This ancient road was originally built shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD. (© MOLA 2024)
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This section of the ancient Roman road is well preserved and has distinct layers that have helped experts better understand its structure.
The road was 5.8 meters (approximately 19 feet) wide and 1.4 meters (approximately 5 feet) high.
Its construction was completed using a solid foundation of two layers of chalk-sealed gravel and another layer of compacted sand and gravel on top, according to a press release.
Experts say the ancient road discovered dates back about 2,000 years. (© MOLA 2024)
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“It’s amazing that this part of the road has survived for almost 2,000 years. So much has happened here over the past few hundred years, from sewers to power lines to trams and, of course, the construction of modern roads. According to a press release, MOLA project manager Dave Taylor said:
The discovery will be marked by a sign near the Old Kent Road Bridge.
