Worldreviewer archeological expert Professor Avril Buffon from the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Nantes announced today that formal excavations will start next month on a Mithraic Temple complex discovered during the construction of Heathrow’s Terminal Five.
The remains include a number of funerary monuments, as well as a likeness of the Roman God Valigia, a little known deity who was worshipped by the messenger corp of the Roman Army.
These messengers customarily carried their dispatches in sturdy leather pouches called Valigie, which gave us the modern French word ‘valise’, meaning suitcase.
A large number were unearthed during preliminary construction work, which led directly to the discovery of the temple.
The site was secured pending completion of the terminal, and kept under wraps until now.
The remains were discovered in the path of the 11 mile underground baggage conveyor complex, which had to be re-routed by several hundred yards as a result.
BAA have denied that the resulting kink in the path of the conveyor belts – as well as an unusual zig-zag section to skirt a series of massive marble columns - contributed to the recent baggage problems at the new Terminal.
During the planned excavations a number of flights are expected to be
re-routed to a sixth, temporary Terminal, on the far perimeter of the airport.
When asked about the impact on planning for a possible third runway, Professor Buffon said:
"Mithraic Temples are seldom found in isolation.
"We would not be surprised if there was a whole town under there.
"We're also expecting to find a whole lot more structures under Heathrow - so don't hold your breath for a third runway anytime soon!"
Professor Avril Buffon is an archeology fellow of the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Nantes.
She has been working in the archeology field for over 15 years, and recently came to the public's attention with her discovery of a roman villa under Highbury Football Stadium.
Her current work at Heathrow Airport Terminal began in early 2007.
These messengers customarily carried their dispatches in sturdy leather pouches called Valigie, which gave us the modern French word ‘valise’, meaning suitcase.
A large number were unearthed during preliminary construction work, which led directly to the discovery of the temple.
The site was secured pending completion of the terminal, and kept under wraps until now.
The remains were discovered in the path of the 11 mile underground baggage conveyor complex, which had to be re-routed by several hundred yards as a result.
BAA have denied that the resulting kink in the path of the conveyor belts – as well as an unusual zig-zag section to skirt a series of massive marble columns - contributed to the recent baggage problems at the new Terminal.
During the planned excavations a number of flights are expected to be
re-routed to a sixth, temporary Terminal, on the far perimeter of the airport.
When asked about the impact on planning for a possible third runway, Professor Buffon said:
"Mithraic Temples are seldom found in isolation.
"We would not be surprised if there was a whole town under there.
"We're also expecting to find a whole lot more structures under Heathrow - so don't hold your breath for a third runway anytime soon!"
Professor Avril Buffon is an archeology fellow of the Institute of Classical Archaeology at the University of Nantes.
She has been working in the archeology field for over 15 years, and recently came to the public's attention with her discovery of a roman villa under Highbury Football Stadium.
Her current work at Heathrow Airport Terminal began in early 2007.
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 17 comments
Third Runway in Doubt?
01.04.2008 15:07
Interested
Terminal Five could be closed for digging
01.04.2008 15:44
A recent example is at the Hill of Tara in Ireland where historic sites have been discovered along the route of the motorway and European rulings have stopped the company that owns Heathrow Airport from continuing with their work there.
Student
april fool
01.04.2008 15:57
myk
Ancient artifacts could stop the third runway
01.04.2008 16:38
The three villages near Heathrow Airport that are threatened with being demolished to make way for the third runway are steeped in history, and there could well be some exciting finds to be found there.
BAA is apparently concerned enough about this historic discovery to have taken steps to protect what has so far been found.
Let's hope that this latest twist to the story could stop the third runway permanently.
Professor Buffon says on her website:
"Next time you check in to Terminal Five, please be patient, and try to understand that the fact your bag zig-zags half way out across the runway and back is so as to avoid damaging these precious classical artefacts!
"We're planning to start a more detailed excavation in April, during which - sorry folks! - a number of flights are expected to be re-routed to a sixth, temporary Terminal, on the far perimeter of the airport.
"Still, it's all in the cause of archeology".
Interested
History and tradition won't stop progress
01.04.2008 17:26
The owners of BAA have taken no notice of the archaeological discoveries at Tara or the court rulings against continuing with the motorway in Ireland.
The most likely outcome would be an attempt to conceal any ancient artifacts found on the site of the third runway to prevent any efforts to slow down the destruction of the villages.
Realist
The bats and otters could stop the runway
01.04.2008 17:52
Surely the archaeologists and the botanists and the animal experts could all work together to stop the planned destruction?
Naturist
Objective archaeologists
01.04.2008 21:07
Although BAA will be forced to pay for the archaeological investigations, the actual archaeologists will be independant and in no way influenced by BAA. All developers are required under planning law to foot the bill for surveys and subsequent excavations on any possible archaeological site, particularly one as interesting as this. Clearly no archaeologist would allow the finds from here to go unpublicised, infact it seems extremely likely that the majority, myself included, would be completely against the building of a third runway (over a site of historic interest)
Peat
Oh Please...
01.04.2008 23:40
Sgt Sideshow
But seriously folks...
02.04.2008 12:50
As far as the wildlife is concerned the developers in Ireland have made no effort to protect anything and at Heathrow they will probably just kill everything that is on the site of the third runway.
The Worldreviewer website shows famous archaeological sites in many countries and their claim that there may be an entire pre-historic town under Heathrow Airport is certainly not a joke.
It's time the clowns started taking all this destruction of the environment a lot more seriously otherwise we will all end up looking as silly as they do.
Realist
Fishy Smell
02.04.2008 14:14
Masai
Oh Please...
02.04.2008 14:54
1. Have a look at the reports on here about Fossil Fools Day to find out how seriously we and others like us take cllimate change.
2. The Avril Buffon name is french for April Fool. How clear does it have to be? The websaut may be real, but the posting is a joke!
Sgt Sideshow
Quel Surprise
02.04.2008 14:55
Sgt Sideshow
No time for jesting I'm afraid...
02.04.2008 15:41
As far as those silly clowns are concerned there may have been lots of funny stories about them on Indymedia but there wasn't anything on television, so it does make you wonder how serious they really are about their clowning about doesn't it?
They don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a real archaeological discovery and an April Fool's joke.
The fact is that there are hundreds of ancient historic sites all along the route of the new motorway at Tara in Ireland and there are also priceless treasures under Heathrow Airport and the developers are the same company.
The clowns don't seem to be able to do anything to stop the destruction of the environment so what are they actually good for?
If they can't stop the third runway at least they should try to do something to save the endangered animals which the local people have known about for a long time but have been reluctant to draw attention to because they don't want them to be disturbed any more than they have been already.
Naturist
Oh Dear...
02.04.2008 15:58
Naturism, sometimes called nudism in some parts of the world (especially the United States), is:
a lifestyle in harmony with nature, expressed through social nudity, and characterised by self-respect of people with different opinions and of the environment.[1][2]
Naturism can also be:
a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and public spaces
Just wondering..
Sgt Sideshow
Giggling won't save the world...
02.04.2008 16:30
I have never heard of Martin but I did read something about how the Martians were supposed to be coming to save the world, but I suppose that was just another of the clowns' jokes.
Naturism is the worship of nature or natural objects and it is only in Britain that people giggle about nudity as if it is something to laugh about.
I am actually a birthright Naturist which means I was born into it and didn't have any choice in the matter, but I don't see what that has got to do with this question of what should be done about the threat to the ancient heritage that has just been discovered in the Heathrow area.
Naturist
Naked Clowns Could Show Respect...
02.04.2008 19:59
Realist
Great Idea!
03.04.2008 06:25
Sgt Sideshow