Roman History Here In Chester!

There is history everywhere, but it’s not often you’ll stumble across real Roman treasure history in our modern world. Yet council workers got more than they bargained for while working on the Northgate development, as recently reported by the BBC.

While archaeologists were working alongside the council in Chester, they discovered a rare Roman gaming piece. The artefact is made from bone and was found alongside other Roman relics, including a comb, a pin or broach, and a possible spearhead—not what they were expecting while working on this project!

Experts link the gaming piece to Ludus Latrunculorum, which means “The Game of Mercenaries”—a two-player military strategy board game played throughout the Roman Empire, quite similar to draughts.

The artefacts will be added to a collection of Roman relics at a local museum, and Andrew Davison, the Inspector of Ancient Monuments from Historic England, said that the finds “will excite great interest.”

The artefacts were discovered as a result of deeper trenches being dug for new drains on a new building scheme which includes a market hall, a cinema and restaurants, which are all due to open in Chester in two years’ time.

Contractor VINCI Construction UK and archaeologists Oxford Archaeology have since been carefully excavating the site for further signs of Roman life and other historical artefacts since this surprising find.

Councillor Richard Beacham of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “We will be treading very carefully to protect the sensitive archaeological remains on the site and will be adding anything we find to our impressive collection of Roman artefacts at the Grosvenor Museum.”

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