I had an hour or 2 to kill in London last Sunday afternoon while my wife was at an appointment so I finally got round to visiting the Mithraeum which is located within the Bloomberg building in the City of London. I've been meaning to do this for years but never got round to it. It's free to visit but you need to book a time slot online.
The Temple of Mithras dates back to the 3rd century CE and was uncovered in 1954 during an archaeological dig. The museum comprises the remains of the actual temple itself, accompanied by a sound and light show which, to be honest, didn't really add a huge amount. There is a great display of some of the artefacts found in the original dig, and then when the Bloomberg building was being built in 2010.
These are all displayed on a single wall with interactive tablets letting you find out more detail about each one. It includes some fascinating items and, as usual I found myself drawn to the more domestic items rather than the military ones. A large part of a wooden door, a paddle from a boat, shoes, writing tablets... one of which includes the earliest dated hand-written document known from Britain, a financial document of 8 January AD 57... all offer a fascinating glimpse into daily life.
The entrance lobby also features a really interesting art installation. All told I was there about 30-40 miuntes... it's not the biggest museum but it's really interesting and free. So if you find yourself with a spare hour in the City it's well worth popping in.
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