Archaeologists make exciting discovery under Lincoln Castle

A small but exciting excavation, in preparation for the foundations for a disabled lift shaft has revealed a Saxon church, a number of intact burials and a stone sarcophagus. The hole is quite small at 3m by 3m, but at a depth of 3m some eight skeletons were found. The remains of one person seem to have been wrapped in a textile and then placed deliberately in part of the wall foundation.It may be possible to lift the sarcophagus in September, an endoscopic survey has revealed that it does contain a skeleton in good condition. Stone coffins are a rarity in the Anglo-Saxon period, so it must have belonged to a person of status or wealth.

“There is an 8th century reference to a ruined stone church in Lincoln, but up until now this has never been located, we know that Lincoln was an important place where the missionary Paulinus built a church ‘of remarkable workmanship’ in the 7th century and that Paulinus met an important local man called Blaecca.” Said County Archaeologist Beryl Lott “Could Blaecca be one of the kings of the Kingdom of Lindsey? Could this coffin relate to him or one of his kin or bishops?”

Currently the excavation has reached 5m where there is the remains of two Roman townhouses, with the remains of a baby burial closeby.