For television host and scholar Professor Alice Roberts, the archaeological landscape of London evokes memories of a well-known Italian cuisine.

“In London, it resembles a lasagna. You can excavate down to prehistoric layers or uncover traces from the more recent Victorian and Edwardian periods,” she explains.

The ongoing transformation of London leads to frequent discoveries throughout the city as construction projects pave the way for new buildings. This process offers archaeologists fleeting opportunities to explore what lies beneath the surface.

In recent years, significant finds have included what is believed to be the city’s oldest theater and its first basilica, while excavations in 2021 near The Shard revealed a rare mausoleum and an opulent Roman villa.

Among these discoveries, a series of 20 vibrant frescoes shattered into 10,000 fragments in a Roman pit features prominently in a new season of the BBC Two show, “Digging for Britain.”

“We’re observing these new discoveries emerging from the ground,” says Roberts, who hosts the program.

“We seem to have identified some quite rare pigments [on the frescoes], and one piece possesses a unique feature—a signature that we believe belongs to the artist who created the fresco, making those details both beautiful and extraordinary.”

The excavation was led by a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA).

Sophie Jackson, the development director of the group, mentions they were aware that the site lay between two Roman roads where buildings used to exist. However, the pit and wall plaster came as an unexpected find for everyone involved.

“Working in London is simply fantastic,” she shares. “Initially, I didn’t plan to become an archaeologist, nor did I have a degree in archaeology… but it becomes quite addictive because the sites are so remarkable.”

According to her, archaeology in the city differs from other locations, given that layers of history stack upon one another, requiring archaeologists to “untangle time” and “reconstruct the site in reverse chronological order.”

Surprisingly, refuse discarded by people two millennia ago often turns out to be some of the most valuable discoveries.

Construction of Bloomberg’s European headquarters last decade unveiled thousands of Roman artifacts, including what was thought to be the oldest handwritten document in the UK.

Jackson explains the site’s richness was due to its proximity to a waterfront where the Romans consistently deposited landfill from various areas of the city, on which they frequently built.

“From that refuse, we were able to glean substantial information regarding the shifting demographics in London; the earliest inhabitants often originated from Gaul, which corresponds to present-day Germany and France… indicating their origins through items such as the brooches they wore,” she elaborates.

These findings, along with others near The Shard, have contributed to emerging theories suggesting that Roman London was organized into distinct zones, with different nationalities residing in separate areas.

“There’s evidence of a Gaulish settlement in northern Southwark, while diverse groups can be found in various sections of the city,” Jackson observes.

The locations for archaeological digs are determined by the planned timings and sites of new developments.

Unsurprisingly, London’s historic heart, particularly within the Square Mile, often yields the richest discoveries for archaeologists.

Jackson expresses enthusiasm for exploring areas like Upper and Lower Thames Street on the river’s north bank, which she believes conceals remarkable archaeological treasures.

“It lies above ancient Roman waterfronts, effectively safeguarding a vast expanse of exceptional archaeology—including early Roman waterfronts and medieval structures,” she reveals.

Regrettably for history enthusiasts, there are currently no plans for a tunnel in this region.

However, the MOLA team did excavate last year in Wapping, where the site of an upcoming distribution center revealed what senior archaeologist Alex Banks describes as “a miniature representation of an entire community.”

“We uncovered various building foundations, a school, residential homes, terraced houses, even some almshouses and a chapel floor,” he recounts.

Numerous artifacts unearthed from the former cesspits and waterlogged wells of these homes revealed items such as glassware, pottery, and clay pipes, spanning from the Roman era to the Victorian age.

The team states these discoveries have prompted new insights into an area once deemed Sailor Town—previously perceived as overcrowded and perilous, but actually inhabited by a diverse range of social classes.

Banks notes that the work conducted in Wapping starkly contrasts with typical portrayals of archaeology on television, with excavations even occurring in basements while the upper floors are demolished.

“Many envision archaeology as being a slow, methodical process with gentle excavations… but our work often involves heavy machinery, directing large equipment.

“That said, we still exercise considerable care and meticulously record our findings,” he quickly adds.

In 2024, Banks was part of a team that discovered what is believed to be the first Roman bed found in Britain during an excavation at an ancient burial site in Holborn.

“We don’t really have anything comparable from Britain or even the wider Roman Empire,” he notes. “Finding furniture of that nature is extremely rare outside of places like Herculaneum or Pompeii, so uncovering it in a muddy construction site in central London is quite astonishing.”

Having survived buried for nearly two millennia, the bed is currently undergoing treatment for further study and future exhibition.

Jackson emphasizes the significance of their work, stating, “Archaeology serves many purposes; it provides perspective and allows people to connect with the past in a tangible way—you can see it and touch it.”

“It helps individuals understand their connection to London—a city that has existed for over 2,000 years, and we’re all part of this ongoing narrative.”

Further reporting by Wendy Hurrell.