In 1954, builders clearing a World War II bombsite in central London unearthed the remains of a Roman temple honouring Mithras, an ancient Roman-era deity, buried beneath the rubble
In 1954, diggers clearing a World War II bombsite in the heart of London unearthed something extraordinary amidst the debris. The find quickly ignited curiosity across the capital, with onlookers flocking to Cannon Street to sneak a peek at the treasure half-buried just metres from the northern banks of the River Thames.
Unbeknown to them, they were witnessing one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in London’s 2,000-year history. While working on the site, the team accidentally dug up the head of a statue of Mithras, an ancient Roman-era deity – but that was just the beginning.
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Buried metres beneath the surface lay the remnants of a long-forgotten underground temple dating back at least 1,700 years. This temple was erected in honour of Mithras, a mythical sun-god linked with covenant, light, oath and justice, stemming from ancient Iranian pagan belief.
This religion, known as Mithraism, was prevalent across the Roman Empire in the third century, drawing followers from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Mithraism resonated with Romans from all walks of life, from high-ranking members of the Roman Imperial Army to ordinary citizens – but devotees typically kept a low profile, performing their rituals in secret.
The cult’s followers would congregate in hidden locations, away from prying eyes. Their specially built temples, known as tauroctony by historians of the time, often featured shrines depicting Mithras’ killing of a bull within a cave, a story central to Mithraism, reports MyLondon.
After three weeks of digging, the site was fully exposed, much to the joy of onlookers including Winston Churchill, who expressed his excitement over the discovery.
However, instead of being treated with the respect it deserved as a heritage site, the temple was dismantled and reassembled above ground at a more visitor-friendly location.
William Grimes, the first archaeologist to uncover the temple, was disheartened by the project, as it left out many of the temple’s original archaeological features.
To correct this mistake, the City of London Planning Authority decided in 1962 that the temple should be taken apart again and rebuilt at its original location.
In 2010, Bloomberg chose to buy the site where the temple was first found to set up their European headquarters. As part of the purchase, Bloomberg agreed to manage the temple.
After years of meticulous restoration, the temple was finally unveiled to the public in its original subterranean chamber in November 2018. Here, archaeologists discovered over 400 fragments of ancient Roman writing-tablets. Among these fascinating finds were the earliest known mention of London and the oldest hand-written document in Britain.
Little is understood about the Mithraic religion, but it’s thought to have been favoured by members of the Roman army. They likely saw it as an exclusive fraternal brotherhood.
Their enigmatic ceremonies, including a seven-step initiation for newcomers, would have been conducted on a central nave running through the spooky temple, dimly illuminated by candles and oil lamps.
The statue of Mithras would have been positioned at one end of the temple’s rounded apse. Here, a priest or group of priests may have led congregational prayers and hymns to their deity.
Interestingly, the temple was constructed on the banks of the Walbrook, a long-lost river now coursing beneath the streets of London.
Artefacts such as coins, pottery, shoes, lucky charms and an amber gladiator amulet were found preserved in the river’s mud. The river flows through Shoreditch, past Liverpool Street and into the Thames.
The London Mithraeum, situated at 12 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AA, is open to the public and does not require pre-booked tickets. It remains closed on Mondays, Christmas and New Year bank holidays.