Walk through Leicester today and it is often hard to imagine that we are treading on over 2,000 years of history. Now, more than 80 years of archaeological excavations have taken place in the city, from Kathleen Kenyon’s seminal excavation of the Jewry Wall Roman baths in the 1930s to the current work of University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS). That makes Leicester one of the most excavated cities in Britain, giving us an exceptional insight into what life was like in the city in the past.
This website draws on that incredible resource of archaeological information to explore what life was like in the Roman world. Our aim is to make this site a hub for students, teachers and everyone with an interest in Leicester’s past to find out more about the city’s amazing Roman legacy.
“British archaeology owes… Leicester a very real debt.”
Kathleen kenyon, 1948
Archaeology and Classics in the Community
The School of Archaeology and Ancient History is home to a world-class, international team of scholars engaged in cutting-edge research and teaching in our twin disciplines of Ancient History and Archaeology. We are proud to host the award-winning University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS); a commercial archaeological unit with over 25 years’ experience, offering a comprehensive, integrated service for all types of archaeological and heritage projects. Together we have a long history of making high-impact, world-leading discoveries.
Archaeology and Classics in the Community is a unique collaboration with our academics and students working in partnership with colleagues in ULAS as a fully integrated team to provide a wide range of school and community engagement opportunities developed from our academic and field research. We work closely with many national and local organisations, including Classics for All (CfA); Leicester City Council (LCC); Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society (LAHS); Heritage Schools (Historic England); the East Midlands Association of Classics Teachers (EMACT); the Leicester Creative Business Depot (LCB) and the Friends of the Jewry Wall Museum. Together we facilitate school and community engagement with global human history through locally focused activities and resources.
Roman Leicester 