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Identity of Westminster Abbey skeleton revealed: study
New York Post • • world
Key Points:
- A mysterious skeleton found in a Roman-style sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey, discovered in 1820 but only examined in detail in 2016, has been identified as a middle-aged male who lived between 987 and 1052.
- The sarcophagus, originally dedicated to Valerius Amandinus, was repurposed centuries later for a religious figure, indicated by a large cross carved on its lid.
- Researchers narrowed down the occupant to two possible abbots of Westminster Abbey: Ælfwig (993-1020) or his successor Wulfnoth (1020-1049), both fitting the carbon dating timeline.
- The reuse of a Roman sarcophagus for a medieval abbot is highly unusual and unprecedented, with the inscription possibly hinting that Valerius Amandinus was an early Christian figure of significance in Roman London.
- Despite these findings, many details remain unclear, including the exact identity of the occupant and the reasons behind the sarcophagus's unusual reuse.
