Unearthing London: The Ancient World Beneath the Metropolis

Unearthing London reveals the almost-forgotten ritual landscape which lies hidden beneath the streets of the modern capital. It is the city nobody knows, a vast and intricate network of hilltop shrines, tracks, sacred rivers, mounds, ditches, enclosures and manmade hills, all well over 2000 years old. This prehistoric landscape, moulded and shaped by early men and women, determined the position of landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. However, it has not been completely obliterated by the concrete and tarmac of the modern city, and Simon Webb traces the forgotten history of the capital to explore what remains of these early sites. He also examines the religious beliefs and mythology of the pre-Roman area which became London and looks at how the legends tie in with the various ancient features of the city. The book also features a guide to walking the ritual landscape today - routes that take in both twenty-first century architecture and ancient mystery. Whether a lifelong Londoner or a curious visitor, Unearthing London will reveal things you never knew about the global city.