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Dozens of Anglo-Saxon burials have been uncovered on the site of the Old Bell Hotel, which is located next to Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire.
Some 24 articulated skeletons and the disarticulated remains of 22 more individuals were excavated by Cotswold Archaeology this July. Four have since been radiocarbon dated to c.AD 670 and AD 940, making them the first confirmed burials of this period to be found in the town, and placing the cemetery within the earliest phase of operation of Malmesbury Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery that was established on an adjacent site in the late 7th century. Some of the burials were overlain by stone walls, which have been interpreted as possibly medieval, and Cotswold Archaeology has suggested that they could be related to the original Benedictine complex.
If the cemetery is associated with the abbey, though, its occupants are unlikely to have been monks: of the 24 articulated skeletons excavated by the team, only seven are adults, and only three of those adults are male (the remaining 17 represent the remains of children, including newborns). As written sources suggest that the area was part of the monastic development, however, Malmesbury Abbey historian Tony McAleavy has suggested that the individuals may have been part of the lay community that supported the monastic population.
While documentary evidence states that the monastery was founded in the 7th century, these skeletons may represent the first physical finds associated with this early phase, and provide tantalising evidence of the local community at this time. Post-excavation analysis is now under way, and further investigations of the skeletons are planned, including additional radiocarbon dating and analysis to help shed light on the abbey’s operations.
While the excavation was taking place, Malmesbury was hosting ‘Athelstan 1100’, a programme of events commemorating the eponymous Anglo-Saxon king, who was buried at Malmesbury Abbey in AD 939, although his bones were subsequently lost. During the celebrations, the ‘Big Athelstan Dig’ saw 13 test-pits opened across Malmesbury, under the supervision of Cotswold Archaeology.
Text: Rebecca Preedy / Photo: Cotswold Archaeology
