Archaeologists have discovered the skeletal remains of between 50 to 75 individuals buried in the walls of Westminster Abbey. It is believed that they date from the 11th or early 12th century.
The remains had been placed under Victorian drainage pipes outside the wall of Poets’ Corner, which is part of the South Transept of the famous English Collegiate Church. The archaeologists were working there as part of a major project to build a new £19 million tower that will allow visitors more access to the site.
Paw Jorgensen of Pre-Construct Archaeology told The Guardian that the remains likely belong to monks associated with Westminster Abbey, and that they were moved twice since the first burial – first in the 13th century when the church was rebuilt by Henry III, and then in the Victorian era. Workmen from that period even stole the skull of individual who was found in a stone tomb.
In an interview with CNN, he added, “In some cases the bones survive in very good condition, but in some cases the bone material is almost entirely degraded.”
You can read more at The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and on the Pre-Construct Archaeology Facebook page.
Top Image: Westminster Abbey – photo by Daniel Gillaspia / UponArriving.com
Archaeologists have discovered the skeletal remains of between 50 to 75 individuals buried in the walls of Westminster Abbey. It is believed that they date from the 11th or early 12th century.
The remains had been placed under Victorian drainage pipes outside the wall of Poets’ Corner, which is part of the South Transept of the famous English Collegiate Church. The archaeologists were working there as part of a major project to build a new £19 million tower that will allow visitors more access to the site.
Paw Jorgensen of Pre-Construct Archaeology told The Guardian that the remains likely belong to monks associated with Westminster Abbey, and that they were moved twice since the first burial – first in the 13th century when the church was rebuilt by Henry III, and then in the Victorian era. Workmen from that period even stole the skull of individual who was found in a stone tomb.
In an interview with CNN, he added, “In some cases the bones survive in very good condition, but in some cases the bone material is almost entirely degraded.”
You can read more at The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and on the Pre-Construct Archaeology Facebook page.
Top Image: Westminster Abbey – photo by Daniel Gillaspia / UponArriving.com
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