Mind-blowing archaeological discoveries that bring history back to life
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The mysterious remains of a skeleton discovered 150 years ago in Westminster Abbey have finally been identified.
The bones were officially discovered and excavated by archaeologists in1869, following repairs to a Roman tomb which had been smashed by workmen completing a job on the north side of the abbey in 1820.
The inscription on the sarcophagus initially led experts to believe the remains were a wealthy man named Valerius Amandinus, likely living between 300 and 400 AD.
While the inscription clearly dated to Roman times, no artefacts from that period were found in subsequent excavations in the surrounding area.
After closer inspection of the lid of the fourth-century sarcophagus, decorated with a large carved cross later shown to be a modification of the original lid, experts determined the remains could be those of a high-ranking monk who died centuries later.
The latest developments, discovered by Professor Warwick Rodwell and his team, reveal that the skeleton is likely to belong to a man who was around 5ft 9in and died between the ages of 35 and 49.
Dr Rodwell believes the monk was likely Aelfwig, a prominent 11th-century Abbot at Westminster Abbey, or his successor, another abbot named Wulnoth.
The professor explained: “We do not know the date of birth of either.”
He added: “But either would fit equally well if we assume the Abbot was in his early 20s when the appointment was made and close to 50 when he died.”
Dr Rodwell believes the individual was high status because of the “fine sarcophagus” they were buried in.
The coffin, which is now completely disintegrated, is thought to have been placed within the older sarcophagus, leading to the initial misidentification.
The practice is an early example of recycling.
“Although no physical traces of that feature remained, it can only have been a timber coffin, which has completely decayed over the course of the seven centuries that the sarcophagus was buried in the sacristy courtyard,” Professor Rodwell added.
The sarcophagus is on public display in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey.
The building is the home to the remains of various historic figures.
The prominent naturalist Charles Darwin is buried in the cathedral grounds, alongside Sir Isaac Newton and a memorial to fellow scientist Michael Faraday.
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