An office building from the 1930s in the heart of London was about to be demolished and redeveloped by its owners — until archaeologists unearthed remnants of the city’s first Roman basilica in the basement.

A discovery underneath the basement of an office block has been described as one of the most important pieces of Roman history unearthed in the city of London. Archaeologists have found a substantial piece of the ancient city's first basilica - a 2,

The 2,000-year-old basilica was “once the beating heart of Roman London,” the Museum of London Archaeology said.

While exploring the site of a 32-story planned skyscraper in London, archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman basilica.

The remarkably well-preserved basilica was part of a public meeting place where citizens and politicians could socialize, shop and hear speeches in the growing city