Several skeletons dating back more than 1,000 years discovered buried in UK hotel backyard
According to the research team, the human burials date back to the 7th century, while the skeletons identified as Anglo-Saxon are likely from the period between 670 and 940 AD.
Archaeologists have made an unusual discovery at The Old Bell Hotel in the United Kingdom, unearthing human remains dating back over 1,000 years. Among these remains, 24 skeletons have been identified through excavation work, revealing a mix of men, women, and children who once lived and died in Malmesbury Abbey. Surprisingly, the researchers were not actively searching for human remains; they stumbled upon them during the excavation of 13 dig sites across the town.
The historic hotel, recognized as a site dating back to 1220, sits adjacent to Malmesbury Abbey. Volunteers collaborated with archaeologists during the Big Athelstan Dig, a community archaeology event celebrating the 1,100th anniversary of Athelstan’s ascent to the throne as the First King of all England.
According to the research team, the human burials date back to the 7th century, while the skeletons—identified as Anglo-Saxon—are likely from the period between 670 and 940 AD. Cotswold Archaeology, involved in the excavation, notes that while the presence of human remains near a church is not surprising, the sheer quantity of remains has astonished the archaeologists.
Interestingly, the graves are not located where the medieval cemetery was believed to be (south of the Abbey). Instead, they lie west of the former cloisters, as revealed by a representative from Cotswold Archaeology in a statement to Fox News.
The discovery of Saxon remains is particularly unexpected, as no prior physical evidence existed of early monastic life in Malmesbury. The Old Bell Hotel, constructed approximately 500 years after the burials, suggests that the builders likely were unaware of the cemetery’s existence. Despite this, construction workers unknowingly encountered the remains while building the hotel.
“There is plentiful archaeological evidence that medieval walls were constructed directly over, and sometimes even through, burials,” the spokesperson claimed.
Jim and Whit Hanks, the owners, are honored to be a part of history in the meantime.
“It’s fitting that the earliest remains have been found near the Abbey, on the grounds of England’s oldest hotel,” they stated.
The bones are currently in the hands of Cotswold Archaeology, and a hotel official stated that a decision regarding their storage will be made “in due course.”
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