Archaeologists digging in London have uncovered a Roman street underground.
The discovery "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, experts told BBC News. The find includes approximately 10,000 artifacts, among them writing tables and good luck charms.
"This is the site that we have been dreaming of for 20 years," another expert said.
They have dubbed the area the "Pompeii of the North" because it is so perfectly preserved. This includes organic artifacts such as leather and wood that are usually destroyed by the elements. The organic materials were preserved in an anaerobic environment as a result of the riverbed being waterlogged.
Archaeologists expect the find to provide the earliest foundation date for Roman London, which is currently understood to be AD 47.
The site contains the bed of one of the "lost" rivers of London, the Walbrook. It also features waterfronts made from built-up soil and timber structures, among them a complex Roman draining system that was used to discharge waste from industrial buildings.
The excavation was led by Museum of London Archaeologists (MOLA), who say it contains the largest collection of small finds ever recovered from a single site in London. The artifacts cover the period from the AD 40s to the early fifth century.
"We have entire streets of Roman London in front of us," said Sadie Watson, the site director for MOLA.
The site is thought to be the deepest archaeological dig in London, at a depth of 40 feet. The team has, to date, removed 3,500 tons of soil in six months. In it, they have discovered more than 100 fragments of Roman writing tablets, some of which are thought to contain names and addresses, and other contain personal letters.
The archaeologists have also uncovered a wooden door, which is only the second to ever be found in London.
The site contains "layer upon layer of Roman timber buildings, fences and yards, all beautifully preserved and containing amazing personal items, clothes and even documents," said Sophie Jackson, who works with MOLA.
They have uncovered a previously unexcavated area of the Temple of Mithras, a Roman cult, which was first discovered in 1954.
Due to the preservation of the timber, the archaeologists will be able to determine the correct dating for Roman London by using dendochronological dating, a method that uses tree ring samples. They expect it to date back farther than the current date of AD 47.
The artifacts will be brought back to the Museum of London to be freeze-dried and preserved by record.
The site will eventually become the entrance to the Waterloo and City line at Bank station for the London underground transportation system when the excavation is complete.
The site will also house the European headquarters of Bloomberg media corporation, which is scheduled for completion in 2016, at which point the temple and artifacts from the excavation will become part of a public exhibition in the Bloomberg building.
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