Dr Gavin Speed (archaeologist with ULAS, and site director of one of the largest excavations in Leicester in recent years), will present a talk on Roman Leicester. The historic city has in recent years seen a huge increase in urban redevelopment, and as a result, a vast amount of major new archaeological projects have been undertaken, transforming our understanding, and revealing much of Leicester’s Roman past.
In this talk Gavin will be give an overview of the development of our understanding of the city’s Roman past. Looking at the key archaeological discoveries over time. The talk moves through the four centuries of Roman rule from its Iron Age origins, to the houses and mosaics, its large public buildings, and through to its economic decline and collapse. The talk will utilise all the latest discoveries and newest interpretations to reveal a town that was – like its modern counterpart – a truly thriving multicultural urban environment.
