Archaeologists find artifacts older than Stonehenge beneath Britain's Houses of Parliament: 'Incredibly rare'

Archaeologists digging beneath the Palace of Westminster precocious unearthed priceless historical treasures – immoderate of which adjacent predate Stonehenge.

In a Nov. 19 announcement, the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority said it had discovered relics ranging from Mesolithic flint chips to 19th-century artifacts.

The excavations were portion of a three-year probe aimed astatine shaping the Palace's upcoming restoration work.

The Palace of Westminster, besides called the Houses of Parliament, was archetypal utilized arsenic a royal residence successful the 11th century. Its oldest surviving operation is Westminster Hall, built successful 1097 for William II.

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Archaeologists moving beneath the Palace of Westminster uncovered a scope of artifacts dating backmost thousands of years, revealing uncommon traces of aboriginal quality activity. (Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Ltd; iStock)

The earliest remains recovered during the excavation were 60 flint fragments produced during toolmaking, apt dating backmost to 4300 BC. The flint flakes predate Stonehenge, which began operation successful 3100 BC.

The prehistoric remains were erstwhile portion of Thorney Island, a sandy country adjacent the River Thames that yet became the bosom of medieval Westminster.

"The flints were recovered successful undisturbed soil deposits that erstwhile formed portion of Thorney Island, an country wherever prehistoric communities are thought to person fished, hunted and gathered food," the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority said successful its announcement.

"These uncommon finds connection a glimpse into aboriginal quality beingness successful what is present cardinal London."

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Diane Abrams, the archaeology pb astatine the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, told Fox News Digital that uncovering prehistoric remains successful situ successful cardinal London is "incredibly rare."

"While probe suggested we mightiness find traces of aboriginal quality enactment connected the site, I was amazed to observe nonstop grounds of flint tool-making dating backmost to astir 6,000 years ago," said Abrams. 

Crews conducting a three-year probe beneath Parliament uncovered centuries of artifacts, including items that uncover however radical erstwhile lived and worked crossed the historical site. (Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Ltd)

Archaeologists besides recovered medieval leather footwear and footwear soles dating backmost 800 years, arsenic good arsenic 19th-century decorated clay baccy pipes and a 19th-century five-pint brew jug inscribed "Geo[rge] Painter."

They besides recovered a fragment of a 2,000-year-old past Roman altar that was apt repurposed, arsenic good arsenic a heart-shaped pb badge dating backmost to the Middle Ages.

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One of the astir important moments was erstwhile archaeologists unearthed the remains of Lesser Hall, a medieval gathering dating to 1167. First built arsenic a royal eating space, the hallway saw "key moments successful Parliamentary history," officials said.

"Over the centuries, it housed the Court of Chancery, the Court of Requests, and adjacent the House of Commons and House of Lords astatine antithetic times," the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority said.

Excavators discovered the foundations of Lesser Hall, a medieval gathering from 1167 that erstwhile hosted royal eating events. (Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Ltd)

"This is the astir important find of the existent archaeological investigations and provides captious insights into the layout and endurance of historical structures beneath the modern Palace."

Excavators recovered Lesser Hall's chromatic partition and archetypal foundation, which were remarkably preserved done some the Great Fire of 1834 and a World War II weaponry strike.

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Abrams told Fox News Digital that the hallway was 1 of the "most breathtaking and unexpected" discoveries of the excavation.

"It was unclear conscionable however overmuch of it would past beneath the present-day courtyard and car park," she said.

"The findings volition besides assistance america to usher the plan and readying for Parliament's aboriginal restoration works."

"Today, its remains – and different pre-1834 structures – person been cautiously recorded and adjacent turned into 3D integer models earlier being reburied to support them."

Archaeologists besides spotted aboriginal repairs to the hall, including reddish brickwork that erstwhile separated 2 adjacent properties.

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"There is besides a larger reddish ceramic partition which apt belonged to a cellar dividing 2 properties shown connected plans from 1739," said Abrams.

"These details assistance america portion unneurotic the archaeology and past of the tract to larn much astir the past radical who lived and worked there."

The medieval artifacts uncovered during the Parliament excavation were recovered alongside items from different eras, revealing however the tract evolved done centuries of enactment and mundane life. (Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority Ltd)

All successful all, Abrams said that the discoveries "reveal a singular timeline of quality enactment connected this iconic site."

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"The findings volition besides assistance america to usher the plan and readying for Parliament's aboriginal restoration works," she said.