Remarkable archaeological findings unearthed at Rolls-Royce Bristol

Remarkable archaeological findings unearthed at Rolls-Royce Bristol

A small prehistoric (6000 BC-AD 43) settlement has been uncovered at the Rolls-Royce site in Filton, Bristol as part of ongoing site infrastructure improvements. 

Post-hole for an upright beam of what is thought to be either an animal pen or a small simple building

A small prehistoric (6000 BC-AD 43) settlement has been uncovered at the Rolls-Royce site in Filton, Bristol as part of ongoing site infrastructure improvements. 

The archaeologists assigned to the Bristol site – AOC Archaeology Group supported by AECOM - have undertaken trial trenching, a means of investigating a sample of a site to check for anything of archaeological significance before construction activities.

During this work, they have identified a double ditched enclosure that defines the northern end of the settlement along with several post holes and various small shards of basic pottery – suggesting one or more simple small buildings of some kind.

Another post-hole

Several pits and a small enclosure, likely used for keeping animals, have also been located within this settlement.

Archaeologists also discovered evidence of an individual thought to be living sometime during the Roman settlement of the wider area, with the remains being found to the north of the double ditched settlement.

Based on the very small ‘grave’ located just outside the settlement area where the individual’s remains were found, archaeologists suggested that the person was not well known to the people who had settled in the area or might have even been criminal due to the quick and impersonal nature of the burial.

All findings – including the human remains – are currently with the archaeologists for cleaning and processing and will ultimately be stored in a local museum.

Vice President – Infrastructure, UK&I Early Lifecycle Defence George Mitchell said:

Select Tabs

The discovery of both the small prehistoric settlement and the buried human remains have been a fascinating arc to our ongoing Bristol site infrastructure improvements and have sparked the imaginations of our team.

“It was during ground remediation work – which includes cleaning to remove any pollutants that have built up over decades of engine building and testing – that the remarkable discoveries were uncovered.”


The human remains thought to be an individual living in the Roman settlement

Group Property Programme Executive Daniel Lock added: “These archaeological findings have added to the rich history of the Filton site, a location that has stood through the trials of the Second World War. The team in Bristol are now looking forward to building on this momentum and continue to upgrade and invest in the future of the site.”

All work in the affected areas were temporarily suspended to facilitate a thorough assessment and preservation of the findings. The County Archaeologist has been provided a plan of the site and several photos of these archaeological features. They are happy that the site has been recorded and excavated to a suitable quality and has signed off the area. No further archaeological works will be required in these previously monitored areas of the site allowing the site transformation work to continue in this area.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
  1. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power to protect.
  2. Rolls-Royce has a presence in 48 countries and customers in more than 150, comprising over 250 commercial large aero engine customers, 160 armed forces and navies and approximately 40,000 active Power Systems customers. We are committed to becoming a net zero company by 2050 and we support our customers to do the same.
  3. Annual underlying revenue was £15.4bn in 2023, underlying operating profit was £1.6bn and free cash flow £1.3bn.
  4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is publicly traded company (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69)
  5. Rolls-Royce Deutschland is the only aircraft engine manufacturer in Germany certified to develop, manufacture and maintain modern civil and military turbine engines. The company employs approximately 3,500 people at its facilities in Cottbus, Dahlewitz, Munich and Oberursel. Rolls-Royce Deutschland’s annual turnover in 2023 was more than 1.8billion Euro. So far, Rolls-Royce Deutschland has delivered more than 8,500 engines ‘made in Germany.’

www.rolls-royce.com

Register for news and stories

Our Alert service delivers the latest press releases, stories and regulatory news directly to your mailbox.