The discovery of human bones that are over 1,000 years old have been found in a hotel garden. The remains, including the skeletons of both men, women and children, date back from 670 to 940 AD. The remains were found in the garden of the Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, which is situated next door to Malmesbury Abbey. The remains’ discovery sheds new light on the way Malmesbury Abbey worked during its golden age.
The Cotswold Archaeology was called in to conduct surveys prior to building work as part of planning conditions. Archaeologist Paulo Guarino from the Cotswold Archaeology stated that the discovery is significant, as its provides physical evidence of the town’s Saxon past, which was previously only available through written sources. While written sources confirmed the town’s Saxon past, real evidence previously did not exist.
Malmesbury Abbey historian Tony McAleavy praised the discovery stating that “at this time was one of the leading centres of scholarship in western Europe.” Additionally, McAleavy stated that the find provided evidence of the community of people who helped the monks during the early days of the monastery.
Hotel owners Kim and Whit Hanks from Texas, stated how excited they are to learn more about the history of Malmesbury. The discovery comes at a time when the town is celebrating Athelstan 1100, which marks the reign of Anglo-Saxon King Athelstan – the first king of all England, who chose to be buried in the town.
The team handling the remains has been using maximum respect during their excavation. While the bones were excavated last year, details of the findings have only just been released. The hotel itself is centuries old, with parts of the building dating back to medieval times
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