Roman fort under Exeter bus station

[Duncan Head]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/26/roman-fort-discovered-under-exeter-bus-station

[Patrick Waterson]

One wonders how many others might still reside under bus stations, shopping centres, sports grounds and car parks nationwide.

[Jim Webster]

One wonders how many others might still reside under bus stations, shopping centres, sports grounds and car parks nationwide.

It reminds me of a time I was trying to explain to an American that the British were not upset about building on ancient burial grounds. As our cities have spread outwards we've built over the graveyards of our predecessors. In fact given our population density the surprising thing isn't what we've built over, but what has managed to survive 

[Patrick Waterson]

In fact given our population density the surprising thing isn't what we've built over, but what has managed to survive 

True.  Nowadays having the National Trust helps, but before that anything seemed to be fair game.

[Erpingham]

It is an irony that many of our archaeological discoveries in the UK are due to redevelopment.  Non-rescue archaeology is limited by both cost and a general desire to preserve remains (archaeology being a destructive process etc.).

[Mark G]

It helps that very few current inhabitants identify closely with our archeological burial finds.

If we uncovered a Christian (for example) cemetery that would generate a preservation campaign,
But not so much for a beaker people one.

Romans have no chance, vikings outside of the isles I would doubt.
Picts, probably not.

But a grave dating to the highland clearances I think would get a preservation order.

A forgotten Cornish mining disaster would.

Cemeteries themselves are about the sensitivities of those alive now and what they want to remember.

Or archeological interest.
And archeological interest comes from the location and what they are buried with, not the fact of the burial itself

[Jim Webster]

It helps that very few current inhabitants identify closely with our archeological burial finds.

If we uncovered a Christian (for example) cemetery that would generate a preservation campaign,
But not so much for a beaker people one.

probably not, they fall under the Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/18

Notwithstanding section 3 of the principal Act (which prohibits the erection of buildings on disused burial grounds except in certain cases) but subject to section 2 of this Act a building may be erected on a disused burial ground or part thereof which is or has been owned by or on behalf of a church or other religious body provided that either—

(a)no interments have ever taken place in such land, or

(b)no personal representative or relative of any deceased person whose remains have been interred in such land during the period of fifty years immediately before the proposal to erect a building thereon has in accordance with subsection (2) of this section duly objected to the proposal or all such objections have been withdrawn.

There is a system and in crude terms, once the remains have disappeared (depends on soil type) and there are no tombstones etc, there isn't an issue
Even if there are remains, as long as they've been in the ground and there are no living relatives to complain, it's not a big issue. In fact removing a 18th century Christian burial ground is probably easier than if it were a beaker people burial ground because in the latter case you'd probably have to halt things for the archaeologists

Yes, I am a churchwarden, why do you ask 

[Imperial Dave]

completely irrelevant but I do wish people wouldn't use terms like 'French' tableware...... sigh

[Patrick Waterson]

completely irrelevant but I do wish people wouldn't use terms like 'French' tableware...... sigh

Ah, that will be the "fine red samian tableware imported from France" - presumably using time travel.  Amazing how they can tell it was imported from France rather than Gaul.  Something to do with thermoluminescence and isotope decay rates, I suppose.

[Erpingham]

completely irrelevant but I do wish people wouldn't use terms like 'French' tableware...... sigh

Ah, that will be the "fine red samian tableware imported from France" - presumably using time travel.  Amazing how they can tell it was imported from France rather than Gaul.  Something to do with thermoluminescence and isotope decay rates, I suppose.

Sloppy writing but this is a regional journalist writing for a general audience - the important thing is that that general audience get where it is coming from.   The usual formula, though, would be "from what is today France", to hint that things were different then

[Patrick Waterson]

The usual formula, though, would be "from what is today France", to hint that things were different then

One which I wish journalists who write of Ionian and Phrygian etc. finds as 'in Turkey' would follow.