Archaeologists find dozens of bodies under the Tower of London sparking huge discovery
The remarkable discovery has shed new light on the fortress' rich history.
The biggest excavation in 40 years at the Tower of London has uncovered the castle was hit by the plague. Dozens of bodies, believed to belong to ordinary people who lived and worked at the royal fortress, were found during the significant dig.
It is thought some of the dead could have been early victims of the plague and seemingly from the 14th century. DNA testing is set to be carried out to confirm whether the individuals died from the Black Death — a bubonic plague pandemic that swept through Europe between 1346 and 1353. The discovery has been hailed as “hugely important” by Alfred Hawkins, curator of historic buildings at Historic Royal Palaces (HRP).
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Mr Hawkins told The Times: “At the palace we have evidence for what Henry VIII did and what Edward I did — but what we don’t know about is people who were living, working, worshipping and dying at the Tower.”
The dig was carried out at the fortress’ Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula.
It is the resting place of people such as Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard who were executed on orders of King Henry VIII.
The excavation has gone more than three metres deep and at least 25 burials have been discovered in a small area running the narrow width of the chapel. However, remains believed to belong to as many as 50 people have been found.
It is thought they died peacefully, with the area considered to be a “parish burial” for ordinary folk. The University of Cardiff will carry out research to uncover more about their backgrounds, lives and deaths, according to The Times.
Experts believe the burials were “rushed” and before King Edward III introduced stringent rules on how to treat those who died from the plague. Mr Hawkins described the excavation as a “generational opportunity”.
“Historic Royal Palaces have never done an excavation like this and we won’t do it again,” he said.
The dig has been carried out by HRP alongside independent firm Pre-Construct Archaeology, with advice from Historic England.
The Tower of London was built in the 1070s by William the Conqueror and welcomes more than three million visitors a year.
For 500 years, royals used the Tower as a palace but the fortress is probably best known for its role guarding possessions like the Crown Jewels and as an infamous prison.
