"Whoever commissioned this was seriously rich"

Urban archaeology in historic cities is often limited due to limits on new construction that would allow—or even require—archaeological research first. In London, one of the oldest capital cities in the world, a new building boom is providing archaeologists with an unprecedented look into the city's history preserved underground—including a well-preserved Roman frescoe.

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London's Big Dig Reveals Amazing Layers of History

By Roff Smith, Photographs by Simon Norfolk

National Geographic Magazine

January 12, 2016