1,000-year-old church and eight skeletons found in Lincoln Castle grounds
1,000-year-old church and eight skeletons found in Lincoln Castle grounds
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Archaeologists have discovered a 1,000-year-old church during construction work at Lincoln Castle.
Eight skeletons have also been found in the building – which was never known about until now – by workers on the £19.9m Lincoln Castle Revealed project.
Experts believe the church pre-dates both the castle and the Norman conquest – and is one of the most important archaeological finds in Britain. Cecily Spall, an archaeologist on the site, said the amazing find was hugely significant for Lincoln.
“The information we can get from this undocumented church is gold dust,” she said. “Historical documents only tell part of the story for this area so this find is very special.”
The skeletons will be sent to human bone specialists to ascertain the age, sex and medical history of them. They will then go on display at The Collection museum. “It is really exciting. I never expected to find anything like this in my career. “It is without doubt one of the most historically significant things we have found.”
Another skeleton was found wrapped in a finely woven material within the wall foundations during excavations for a lift shaft. This may be the relics of a holy person placed inside the wall to dedicate the building.
A limestone coffin with a lid mortared in place has also been found in a three by three metre trench, three metres below today’s ground level.
Miss Spall has used an endoscopic camera to look inside the coffin and there is a perfectly preserved skeleton within. “The skeletons are in the right alignment for Christian burials and along with a floor surface being present this indicates a church having been here,” she added.
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