Unoccupied tombs were discovered in a subterranean crypt of a medieval church in England
Current excavations at Exeter Cathedral in England have uncovered vacant tombs, a putative medieval crypt, and more.
After removing a portion of the cathedral’s floor, workers discovered hidden parts of the original church. (Image credit: Exeter Cathedral )
The high altar of Exeter Cathedral in England, a medieval crypt, and two empty bishops' graves have all been discovered by archaeologists working there.
The ancient structure, which was built in the Norman architectural style in 1114, is still standing on the same location as the cathedral, which was built around A.D. 1400. The Normans arrived in England from France's Normandy in 1066. The rest of the Anglican church was rebuilt between around A.D. 1270 and 1350 in a decorated Gothic style, according to Smithsonian Magazine, even though the two towers of the original structure are now linked as a part of the nave walls as they seem now.
An ongoing building project to install an underfloor heating system includes the excavations. They started by removing the altar, which is where the priest stands when preaching. According to BBC News, once the flooring of the quire (also called choir), the area of the cathedral where the clergy and choir sit during religious services, was removed, workers discovered the cathedral's 900-year-old original underground floors as well as much more.
John Allan, an honorary university member at the University of Exeter and the cathedral's archeologist, told BBC News that an unexpectedly deep backfilled chamber below the altar, to the east, must be a Norman crypt. The most intriguing archaeological find at Exeter Cathedral has undoubtedly been made here.
Related: Sarcophagus from the 14th century discovered in the Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire
According to a statement, the discovery refutes the long-held assumption that the cathedral never had a subterranean crypt and shows that it was filled in around A.D. 1300.
A set of empty tombs that most likely belonged to two bishops—Robert Warelwast (a nephew of the founder bishop William Warelwast, who passed away about A.D. 1155) and William Brewer (who passed away in A.D. 1244—were discovered after the backfill of the crypt was removed. The duo were moved from their original burial locations to the quire in A.D. 1320, thus these empty rooms were not a surprise.
In the cathedral's cloister garden, researchers previously dug up a Roman house wall, timber houses, and an early Roman roadway in March, according to a report from BBC News at the time.
As an Anglican church, the cathedral is still used by worshippers today.