Roman busts and Bronze Age burial mound discovered at HS2 rail site in Buckinghamshire

Archaeologists excavating the site of the future HS2 high-speed railway in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, have uncovered three Roman stone sculptures: two life-size busts of a man and a woman, and a child's head likely from a damaged bust. The finds were made within the ruins of the Norman church of Saint Mary, built around 1080 and demolished in 1966. The team also exhumed approximately 3,000 burials from the adjacent cemetery, which was used until 1908. Rachel Wood, director of the archaeological mission, described the statues as exceptionally well-preserved and realistic. The discoveries suggest the site was a Roman mausoleum before the church was built, and earlier still a Bronze Age burial mound. The HS2 project, which will connect London to the West Midlands, has been controversial due to its impact on heritage sites. Along its 150-mile route, 60 archaeological sites have been identified. In 2018, the project destroyed the historic St James's Garden cemetery in London, which held the remains of explorer Matthew Flinders. Despite public protests, the British government has refused to alter the route.