York Minster marks 2,000-year history with exhibition

The exhibition shows how York Minster evolved over the last 2,000 years

An exhibition of artefacts and remains dating back to the 7th Century has opened at York Minster.

The £10m Revealing York Minster project also shows how the area evolved over the past 2,000 years and is staged in the Minster's underground chambers.

Excavations in the 1970s uncovered the remains of a Roman barracks, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and the foundations of the original Norman Minster.

The Dean of York said the Minster was a major influence on national history.

"York Minster has stood at the heart of the city for centuries, but even before that, this site was instrumental in the growth of York, from a military barracks into a major conurbation," said the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull.

"This means that the land upon which the cathedral now stands has been a centre - military, political, social and theological - for that whole time, influencing not only regional but national history."

"This is not just a story about the past, it will provide visitors with an insight into the evolution of the city and York Minster's central role within that, right up to the present day with a glimpse at the people who work behind the scenes."

The exhibition is part of a wider £20m restoration and conservation project of York Minster, which is expected to be completed in 2016.