'Groundbreaking' items unearthed near new road
A Roman cupid figurine and other artefacts dating back 12,000 years have been found during major roadworks on the A417 in the Cotswolds.
The items – including including pottery, nail clippers, coins and jewellery – will go on public display on 11 May at Gloucester Guildhall.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “Groundbreaking investigations have helped to reveal Gloucestershire’s rich history dating back thousands of years thanks to archaeologists working on the A417 Missing Link project.”
The pieces date from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman periods, and the Second World War.
The Roman Cupid figurine will go on display this weekend
“Excavating an area of 355,000 sq m, the team of more than 60 archaeologists and 50 office-based specialists have spent more than 100,000 working hours carefully excavating and curating over 10,600 artefacts, weighing in at 100kg, that will be carefully preserved for future generations,” said a National Highways spokesperson.
Project Director for the A417 scheme, Steve Foxley, said the artefacts provided a “unique window into the ancient history of Gloucestershire”.
“These discoveries will contribute significantly to our understanding of how people in the past adapted to changing environmental conditions, and we will ensure the remains are preserved and recorded,” he added.
A Roman nail clipper was also discovered
Jim Keyte, National Highways’ Archaeology Project Manager for the A417, said his team is “now beginning the detailed analysis and interpretation of the finds”.
The scheme is part of a new BBC Two series called Digging for Britain.
The A417 Missing Link upgrade will improve a three-mile stretch of single-lane carriageway between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout.