Editing Lichfield (section)

=== Prehistory and antiquity ===
{{Main|Letocetum}}
The earliest evidence of settlement is [[Mesolithic]] flints discovered on the high ground of the cemetery at [[St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield|St Michael on Greenhill]], which may indicate an early flint industry. Traces of [[Neolithic]] settlement have been discovered on the south side of the sandstone ridge occupied by [[Lichfield Cathedral]].<ref name=staf>{{Citation | last =Greenslade | first =M.W. | title =A History of the County of Stafford: Volume XIV: Lichfield| publisher = Victoria County History| year =1990 | isbn =978-0-19-722778-7  }}</ref>

{{convert|2.2|mi|km|abbr=on}} south-west of Lichfield, near the point where [[Icknield Street]] crosses [[Watling Street]], was the site of Letocetum (the [[Common Brittonic|Brittonic]] *Lētocaiton, "Greywood"). Established in AD 50 as a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] military fortress, it had become a civilian settlement ([[vicus]]) with a bath house and a [[mansio]] by the 2nd century.<ref name=staf/> Letocetum fell into decline by the 4th century and the Romans had left by the 5th century. There have been scattered Romano-British finds in Lichfield and it is possible that a burial discovered beneath the cathedral in 1751 was Romano-British.<ref name=staf/> There is no evidence of what happened to Letocetum after the Romans left; however, Lichfield may have emerged as the inhabitants of Letocetum relocated during its decline. A {{nowrap|Cair Luit Coyd}} ("[[Caer|Fort]] Greywood") was listed by [[Nennius]] among the 28 cities of [[Sub-Roman Britain|Britain]] in his ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'',<ref>[[Nennius]] ({{abbr|attrib.|Traditional attribution}}). [[Theodor Mommsen]] ({{abbr|ed.|Editor}}). [[s:la:Historia Brittonum#VI. CIVITATES BRITANNIAE|''Historia Brittonum'', VI.]] Composed after AD&nbsp;830. {{in lang|la}} Hosted at [[s:la:Main Page|Latin Wikisource]].</ref> although these were largely historic remembrances of early [[Sub-Roman Britain]].