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| Chichester Roman houses found under Priory Park | Chichester Roman houses found under Priory Park |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ground-penetrating scans of a park have revealed three near-complete Roman buildings under Chichester. | Ground-penetrating scans of a park have revealed three near-complete Roman buildings under Chichester. |
| Archaeologists, who were left stunned by the degree of preservation, have said the only reason they survived was because Priory Park was never built on. | |
| Two houses and a third building were found. Moving images from a scan show the shapes of two buildings emerge. | Two houses and a third building were found. Moving images from a scan show the shapes of two buildings emerge. |
| It is thought the houses, which would have been worth millions today, were owned by people of importance. | It is thought the houses, which would have been worth millions today, were owned by people of importance. |
| More news from Sussex here | More news from Sussex here |
| Local geophysics specialist David Staveley, who had set out to identify all the city's Roman roads, was given permission to scan the parks because some might have survived there. | Local geophysics specialist David Staveley, who had set out to identify all the city's Roman roads, was given permission to scan the parks because some might have survived there. |
| Following his scans, a small dig was carried out in Priory Park. | Following his scans, a small dig was carried out in Priory Park. |
| It is thought the houses were originally on a street but the road did not survive. | It is thought the houses were originally on a street but the road did not survive. |
| James Kenny, an archaeologist at Chichester District Council, said the scans showed a townhouse with rooms and a freestanding building in the corner. | |
| "It's difficult to say what it might have been, but the walls did survive. It might have been part of a bathhouse, or a cellar, or a winter dining room with under-floor heating," he said. | "It's difficult to say what it might have been, but the walls did survive. It might have been part of a bathhouse, or a cellar, or a winter dining room with under-floor heating," he said. |
| Mr Kenny admitted there was "nothing exceptional" about a Roman house in a Roman town. | Mr Kenny admitted there was "nothing exceptional" about a Roman house in a Roman town. |
| But he said: "What's exceptional is in a Roman town like Chichester, most of the archaeology has been interrupted by all sorts of house building." | But he said: "What's exceptional is in a Roman town like Chichester, most of the archaeology has been interrupted by all sorts of house building." |
| Added to that, the city had no sewers until the 1880s and people had to dig holes in the ground, he said. | Added to that, the city had no sewers until the 1880s and people had to dig holes in the ground, he said. |
| "An awful lot of archaeology was lost." | "An awful lot of archaeology was lost." |
| However, Priory Park, originally home to a monastery, had not been developed, and the buildings buried 0.5m below the surface showed a "remarkable degree of preservation", Mr Kenny said. | However, Priory Park, originally home to a monastery, had not been developed, and the buildings buried 0.5m below the surface showed a "remarkable degree of preservation", Mr Kenny said. |
| Further exploration will take place this year and there may also be a larger investigation in the future. | Further exploration will take place this year and there may also be a larger investigation in the future. |
| Scans also revealed another Roman street under the park, but this will not be uncovered. | Scans also revealed another Roman street under the park, but this will not be uncovered. |