Researchers from the Archaeological Research Service were brought in to investigate the site as part of the £116 million North and East Melton Road project in Leicestershire, England. Several discoveries were made during the project, including flint tools from the Mesolithic period.
A spokesperson for the company said: “The excavations continue to produce interesting and important results.”
Work on the road began in May 2023 and work is underway to ease congestion in the town. The £116 million North and East Melton Road project is scheduled to open to traffic in late 2025. Archaeologists have been working in the area since 2023 and have made numerous discoveries since the fall. Most of the work has focused on areas close to the two tributaries of the River Eye.
Important finds from the Mesolithic period show that the area was home to hunter-gatherer communities. Flint artifacts were found in an ancient river channel and are thought to be associated with the hunting of animals such as deer.
Researchers also encountered other finds such as Iron Age (800 BC-AD 43) pottery, animal bones and burnt stones. Roman artifacts were also found, along with the site of a potential Roman connection.
Researchers said the site, which will soon become a major road around Melton Mowbray, shows how the area became an important agricultural area over time until modern times.
“In later periods (after the Roman period), these fertile valleys were part of the agricultural landscape surrounding Melton Mowbray during the medieval and post-medieval periods, as evidenced by archaeological and earthwork remains. Our excavations continue to produce interesting and important results, including a potential Roman vineyard site.”
The project is one of the largest road projects ever undertaken by Leicestershire County Council. Construction on the road through Galliford Try started in May 2023. The road will be a 4.4-mile (7km) route between the A606 Nottingham Road and the A606 Burton Road.