The HS2 railway, a $72 billion undertaking expected to stretch 150 miles between London and the West Midlands, is projected to welcome its first passengers in late 2026. But before construction can begin, archaeologists must survey the anticipated route, cataloguing their discoveries and clearing the way for the high-speed line.

That’s why at the end of October, a veritable army of archaeologists descended on more than 60 dig sites scattered across the route. The extensive excavation, which is projected to be the largest ever conducted in the United Kingdom (and maybe even Europe), will continue through 2020, enabling researchers to unearth 10,000 years of British history. 

Initial work has already yielded an array of archaeological treasures, Esther Addley writes for the Guardian: Amongst other finds, the team has identified a prehistoric hunter-gatherer site situated on the outskirts of London, a Romano-British town at Fleet Marston and a razed Anglo-Saxon church in Buckinghamshire.