M5 junction 10 excavation reveals Roman settlement and cemetery
Archaeologists say an excavation beside the M5 at junction 10 in Gloucestershire has uncovered a Roman settlement and cemetery, with evidence of human activity from the Paleolithic to Saxon periods.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Archaeologists in Gloucestershire say an excavation beside the M5 at junction 10 has uncovered a site that may be of national significance. The work is part of a multi-million pound development around the junction, which aims to shape the future of the area. It has also given new insights into the past.
The dig has covered fields on both sides of the motorway, about 50 football pitches worth, over the past year. The team found evidence of human activity across thousands of years, from the Paleolithic period to the Saxon period. Most of the discoveries come from the Roman period.
Roman evidence includes a settlement, a cemetery and areas where tools were crafted. Archaeologists found many artefacts. One of the stand-out finds is a brooch from a grave. There is also evidence of a high-status building somewhere in the area during the Roman period.
The site has produced evidence that three religions, Druids, Christians and Romans, lived alongside each other and were buried together there about 2,000 years ago. Activity at the site goes back 15,000 years, according to the excavation team.
Local people have been able to see the discoveries at a public event, with time slots booked to view the artefacts. Organisers described it as a rare chance to see archaeology in action and to speak to the people making the discoveries. One visitor called it history in the making.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| An excavation next to the M5 motorway has revealed a historical site that archaeologists describe as unique and potentially of national significance. | |
| Evidence of human activity at the site spans the Paleolithic to Saxon periods, with most finds from the Roman period. | |
| Roman-era remains at the site include a settlement, a cemetery and areas used for crafting tools. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West led with the local heritage value of the dig, describing the site as potentially nationally significant and stressing the scale of the excavation. Its report was built around a site visit, showing the M5 in the background and the fields dug on both sides of the motorway. It balanced the Roman settlement and cemetery finds with public interest, including a booked open day and a rare chance to see archaeology in action.
- “Archaeologists in Gloucestershire say an excavation next to the M5 motorway has revealed a unique historical site which may be of national significance.”
- “we found an evidence of human activity across thousands of years all the way from Paleolithic period to Saxon period.”
- “we know that three different religions, Druids, Christians, Romans were living alongside each other being buried together here 2,000 years ago.”
Broadcast Timeline
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