A treasure trove of incredibly preserved Roman artefacts unearthed in Carlisle has shed new light on the city’s ancient past.

Excavations on the site of Cumbria County Council’s new £10.4 million building on Botchergate have revealed a cemetery with important findings.

These artefacts have forced archaeologists and historians to rethink the city’s importance in the Roman world, and confirmed it was one of the most important Roman towns in the north west of England.

About 50 graves, which have lain undisturbed for nearly 2,000 years, were unearthed containing immaculately preserved pots, plates and flint tools, most of which dates back to the late first century and second century.

Only now that the on-site archaeological work has been completed and the finds safely stored can The Cumberland News reveal more about this important discovery.

The findings indicate that Botchergate was an important military and civilian gateway into the town in Roman times rather than the ‘shanty town’ many historians and archaeologists had previously assumed existed there.

Frank Giecco, technical director of Wardell Armstrong Archaeology, said: “We were hoping to find something, but the quality of the finds were pretty spectacular. I have never found that sort of quality from working in Carlisle for 20 years.”

He added: “Carlisle wasn’t just at the edge of the Roman Empire, it was very much part of the Roman Empire. This wasn’t a place where hairy barbarians were just selling the Romans some cows; the Roman way of life and planning towns had become embedded here.

“The Botchergate dig has helped put another piece into that jigsaw puzzle.”

Under Roman law, the dead had to be buried outside the town so graves lined the old Roman road, where Botchergate and London Road are today.

Some of the cremated dead were buried in pots along with all they would need, including plates, platters, drinking vessels and jugs most of which has survived in immaculate condition.

Archaeologists are now analysing the artefacts, along with findings from a 2001 excavation underneath 53-55 Botchergate, to find out more about Roman life in Carlisle in the first and second century.

Analysis of soil, fragments of bone, seeds and residue of metal remains will help them build a picture of people’s diet, environment and Roman trade patterns.

Archaeologists think the cemetery later became an industrial site with a couple of workshops, before being abandoned at the end of the second century and turned to some form of agricultural use.

They suspect the pottery was made locally specifically for use in burials, but that the people buried in the cemetery were immigrants who were associated with the soldiers, perhaps family members or camp followers.

Richard Newman, post excavation manager at Wardell Armstrong Archaology, said finding about 50 complete pots and vessels was very unusual.

He explained: “It was particularly surprising on this site, close to the modern street frontage, because much of the site had been developed on a number of occasions from the medieval period onwards. In fact nothing survives of the medieval occupation because it’s all been removed by later 18th and 19th century occupation.

“The fact you have a sequence of buildings that have been built above these findings – and these findings were just centimetres below a house in the 19th century – yet they survived completely intact was quite a surprise.”

Cumbria County Council is now holding discussions with Carlisle’s Tullie House Museum on how they can showcase these artefacts.

The excavation work was completed before building started on the county council building, which will see its office buildings in Carlisle reduce from 22 to two.

Stewart Young, leader of the council, said: “As we reshape for the future, it’s also important to remember the past.

“The finds at Botchergate are fascinating and cement Carlisle’s reputation as an area with some of the richest Roman heritage in the country.

“We have ensured that the construction project has been done sensitively in terms of preserving our archaeological heritage, and we look forward to sharing the finds with the people of Cumbria once the archaeologists have completed their studies.”

Tim Padley, curator of archaeology at Tullie House Museum, said: “It’s a very exciting discovery because it’s a new picture of what’s happening off an important road leading into the city.

“The burials themselves will be important because it gives us ideas about how they buried their dead – the rituals, partly what they believed – but the whole story about different dates of what’s happening when, also allows us to build up a history of the city and what’s happening outside it.”

The excavation has given archaeologists and historians a deeper insight into Roman life in Carlisle nearly 2,000 years ago.

It has also whetted their appetite, giving a tantalising clue of the other treasures which may lie beneath the city.