Two thousand years ago London didn't exist. It was created by the Romans in the first century AD, when they settled in the area now occupied by the City. The settlement started as a simple bridge over the River Thames, but within 100 years it had become a bustling city with a population of 30,000.

A long way from Rome, Londinium has tended to be regarded as something of a frontier town, an unsophisticated outpost perched precariously on the very edge of the Roman empire. In the past decade, though, a huge amount of redevelopment has taken place in the City, providing an unparalleled opportunity for archaeologists to find out more about the old Roman city beneath the modern streets and buildings. What they've discovered suggests that far from being a relatively uncivilised�backwater Londinium was in fact one of the most sophisticated and advanced cities in the entire empire.