Archaeologists uncover 24 skeletons over 1,000 years old mysteriously buried under a hotel

A group of archaeologists have unearthed two dozen skeletons which date back between 670 and 940 CE.

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The discovery of human remains was made at the site of an English hotel (Cotswold Archaeology)

The remains of 24 people were found by accident by a team digging at the site of the historic Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, England.

The human skeletons are more than 1,000 years old and were found under the hotel’s garden.

Further analysis has revealed that the remains are of men, women and children.

The discovery happened during a routine survey of the area, according to Cotswold Archaeology, who were the ones overseeing the excavation.

So, where were there so many humans buried under the hotel?

The skeletons of 24 people were unearthed from the hotel garden (Cotswold Archaeology)

It turns out that the land is built over the top of a medieval cemetery used during the Middle Ages.

Speaking to All That’s Interesting, Alex Thomson, who managed the archaeological fieldwork, said: “This dating is incredibly exciting and adds a huge amount to the story of Saxon Malmesbury.

“It suggests that the burials were potentially associated with the early establishment of the Benedictine monastery, which is generally dated to the 7th century by documentary sources.

“The finds represent the first confirmed evidence of 7th to 9th century AD activity in Malmesbury. In particular, the nature of the evidence identified, namely a cemetery, can legitimately hint towards the nearby presence of a church predating the Abbey that would have been associated with the cemetery.”

The remains are linked with Malmesbury Abbey (ChrisAt/Getty)

There is still a lot to uncover about who these people were but Thomson says that “further analysis of the remains will help us answer that question”.

This shocking find could also reshape the history of the nearby Malmesbury Abbey as it seems the skeletons are likely connected to the historic religious house.

The burials might “shed new light on the way Malmesbury Abbey functioned during its golden age, a period when it was one of the leading centers of scholarship in western Europe,” says Cotswold Archaeology.

Talking to Cotswold Archaeology, the current owners of the Old Bell Hotel said: “We are honored to act as stewards of local history, a responsibility we take very seriously. This exciting discovery intertwines history with the present, providing a rare insight into the lives of Middle Saxon period Malmesbury residents.”