Um grupo de arqueólogos estava trabalhando na restauração do Castelo de Lincoln, na Inglaterra, quando uma descoberta notável foi realizada: um sarcófago que possuía no seu interior o corpo de “alguém terrivelmente importante”. Especula-se que o corpo possa ser de um antigo rei anglo-saxão ou de um bispo de muito prestígio. O sarcófago de pedra estava dentro de uma fossa, junto a outros restos de uma igreja, datada em, pelo menos, mil anos de idade. A arqueóloga Cecily Spall, responsável pela investigação, afirmou que “nas próxima semanas, com muitos cuidados e preparativos, ocorrerá a retirada do sarcófago para ver o que há no seu interior. Acredito que nós seremos bem-sucedidos”. Ela destacou que não é comum encontrar esse tipo de achado em uma igreja que não é mencionada em documentos históricos. O Castelo de Lincoln, que atualmente passa por uma restauração, já foi local de descoberta de outros esqueletos humanos. Ele foi construído em 1068 por Guilherme, o Conquistador, onde antes havia uma fortaleza romana. Outra fonte (lincolnshire.gov.uk/news/archaeologists-uncover-hidden-church-at-lincoln-castle/116008.article) Archaeologists uncover hidden church at Lincoln Castle Archaeologists digging under Lincoln Castle have made contact with the remains of a previously unknown church that is at least 1,000 years old. The earliest find was a cemetery with several skeletons, associated with the remains of two stone walls. Further investigation revealed more burials, including at least one stone coffin. As explorations continue, it seems that the remains all belong to a stone church built after the Romans left and before the Norman conquerors came. Beryl Lott, historic environment manager for Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This is a very exciting discovery. Our knowledge of the site between the end of Roman period and when the castle was built is very scant. “While the discovery was totally unexpected, it is well known that other Roman walled towns often contained some form of high-status use during the Anglo-Saxon period. “This will greatly increase our knowledge not just of the castle, but of uphill Lincoln as well. It’s a major find and we look forward to future developments.” The finds were made three metres down from today’s ground level in a small area (3x3m metres) being excavated by the archaeologists for the construction of a lift shaft. Along one side of the excavation the limestone coffin with a lid mortared in place can be seen. The earliest stone wall discovered runs on the opposite side of the excavation, where there was another extraordinary find: the bones of a person laid inside a niche in the wall foundation. The bones were originally wrapped in a finely woven textile - the tiny impressions of the cloth could be seen on the mortar of the wall. This looks like a ‘votive deposit’ and may be the relics of a holy person placed inside the wall to dedicate the building. The archaeologists will now be using radiocarbon dating to try and refine the date of the remains, which they expect to be 10th century or earlier. The archaeologists are also digging near the prison where another rich historical sequence from the 19th century back to Roman times is being investigated. These results - which are hugely enriching Lincoln’s history - will form part of a final exhibition at the castle. Meanwhile the public are welcome to visit and view the excavation near the prison, which also employs local volunteers.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:36:04 +0000
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