Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse

"Treasures unearthed by hundreds of archaeologists so far during work on the controversial planned HS2 train line have been shown exclusively to the BBC. The 450,000 objects, which are being held in a secret warehouse, include a possible Roman gladiator's tag, a hand axe that may be more than 40,000 years old and 19th Century gold dentures. It is an "unprecedented" amount and array of items, which will yield new insights into Britain's past, says the Centre for British Archaeology."

"Since 2018 around 1,000 archaeologists have been involved in 60 digs along the route HS2 is set to take between London to Birmingham. While the route is not currently scheduled to open until after 2033 due to delays, archaeologists say their fieldwork is largely complete. The warehouse's location is a closely guarded secret for security purposes. All we can say is that it is in Yorkshire."

"But building HS2 has changed the landscape along its route, cutting into fields and communities, and dividing opinion. Critics, such as Greg Smith, MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, say soaring costs, delays, abandoned villages and damage to the natural and historic environment mean that it is not worth building. "It should not have cost the taxpayer tens of billions of pounds to build a railway that no-one wants and brings so much destruction," Smith says. HS2 said in response: "Chief"

Since 2018 around 1,000 archaeologists have excavated 60 sites along the planned HS2 route between London and Birmingham, recovering roughly 450,000 objects. Items include a possible Roman gladiator's tag, a hand axe over 40,000 years old and 19th Century gold dentures. The finds are stored in about 7,300 boxes on pallets in a secret Yorkshire warehouse, pending research, decisions on display, and ownership. Historic England praised the discoveries as revealing new and exciting sites spanning more than 10,000 years. Critics cite soaring costs, delays, environmental and community damage to argue the project is not worth building.

Read at www.bbc.com