Skeleton found in Westminster Abbey likely belonged to a senior medieval monk
Archaeologists say the remains uncovered in a Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey in 1869 probably belong to a high-ranking monk from the 11th century.
In 1869, workers at Westminster Abbey uncovered a skeleton inside a Roman sarcophagus that had been broken in 1820. Recent analysis by Professor Warwick Rodwell and his team measured the remains, finding a man roughly 5 ft 9 in tall who died between 35 and 49 years of age. The investigators suggest the individual was likely a senior monk, either Abbot Aelfwig, who served until about 1020, or his successor Wulnoth, who died in 1049.
The stone coffin had been repurposed, with a wooden coffin placed inside and the lid later re-carved with a large Latin cross. Although no physical timber remains survive, a lime residue hints at the original wooden burial. The sarcophagus is now exhibited in the Abbey's Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries.
Why it matters
The finding offers new insight into medieval burial practices and the reuse of ancient Roman artifacts at a historic site.
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