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They’re lifting the lid on this centuries-old mystery.
The identity of a mysterious skeleton discovered at Westminster Abbey in London has potentially been revealed — more than 150 years since its discovery.
“We have two viable contenders,” Professor Warwick Rodwell, the Consultant Archaeologist at Westminster Abbey who led the study, Livescience reported.
These remains were reportedly found in a stone sarcophagus that had been unearthed by the landmark’s chief mason in 1820, per a study published in the Journal Of The British Archaeological Association. Workers had inadvertently stumbled upon it while digging on the north side of the abbey for an undisclosed project — and accidentally smashed the lid into six pieces.
Unfortunately, expert analysis revealed that the vessel was looted earlier in that century, leading researchers to initially believe it was bereft of bones.
The incident wasn’t officially recorded until 1869, when they finally repaired the stone.
That’s when they noticed a Roman-style carving on the side of the vessel with a Latin inscription dedicated “to the memory of Valerius Amandinus.”
This would appear to indicate that the occupant was Roman, except there was a massive cross carved into the sarcophagus’ lid, suggesting that the tomb was repurposed for a dignified religious figure’s interment centuries later.
This mystery eluded archaeologists for 150 years until 2016, when the vessel was opened for conservation, revealing that it indeed housed a skeleton.
While the bones had been tampered with over the years — with a hole in the skull and jumbled arm and leg bones — it was apparent that they belonged to a middle-aged male of average height, who also had a history of gout, rib injuries and osteoarthritis.
Using carbon dating, the researchers were able to deduce that he lived between 987 and 1052, confirming that the Roman-era sarcophagus had been repurposed.
But who was the occupant? To get to the bottom, Rodwell examined the birth and death dates of the Westminster abbots along with their tenure, eventually whittling the pool down to two candidates.
They were Ælfwig, who served from 993 to 1020, and his successor Wulfnoth, who held the position from 1020 to 1049.
“We do not know the date of birth of either,” said Rodwell, per the Daily Mail. “But either would fit equally well if we assume the Abbot was in his early 20s when the appointment was made and close to 50 when he died.”
He added, “The fact Aelfwig was already a monk of Westminster might favor him.”
However, the nature of the burial remains perplexing.
Rodwell noted that the recycling of Roman sarcophagi is highly unorthodox — with no comparable cases ever documented — although he feels a clue may lie in the inscription itself.
The scientists noted that the “memoriae” (to the memory) on the box might indicate Valerius Amandinus was an early Christian himself who may have been a big player in Roman London.
“Unfortunately, nothing is known about his career,” Rodwell lamented.