Medieval Bones Discovered Under Road Close to Historic Castle Captured During Rebellion against King John

Human Bones of Medieval Period Discovered

Human bones presumed to belong to the medieval era have been discovered buried under a road and electrical engineers working for National Grid discovered the bone at the time of the excavation of the road in Hertford, Hertfordshire.

Earlier reports have indicated that the bones had been found in a bin bag and police had considered it as a crime scene at the site, but archaeologists as well as forensic experts on examining the remains have confirmed that they were many hundred years old.

It is believed that the bones comprising of a femur, rib bone, a lower jaw as well as part of the skull could have been an ancient burial site but a black plastic bin bag found with the bones indicate that they could have been shifted there.

Display in the Hertford Museum

The bones which had been excavated in the area opposite the library in Hertford’s Old Cross location will now be displayed in the Hertford Museum. This site is said to be around 350 yards from Hertford Castle and was built by King Edward the Elder in 912 AD and later on captured by Louis, Dauphin of France in 1217 at the time of the Barons rebellion against King John.

It is expected that the archaeologists may be capable of gathering more information with regards to whom they could belong to. Gerry McDonald, Chief Inspector Police from Hertfordshire had stated that `they have been working closely with experts to find the origin of these bones’. Result of this work would help them in confirming the bones date to the medieval period.

Great Plague of 1665

A pit with bodies, which is found under London’s Liverpool Street station, is believed to be the ultimate resting place of around 30 victims of the Great Plague of 1665. Archaeologist came across this horrible discovery at the time of excavating the Bedlam burial ground at the Crossrail site towards the east of the city.

The mass burial is unlike the other individual graves at the cemetery and could provide some insight on the shattering epidemic which had swept out a fifth of London’s population during the 17th century. The Great Plague had started in 1665 and it is presumed to have been the result of the Yersinia pestis bacterium which is generally transmitted by the bite of an infected rate flea.

 The last main epidemic of the bubonic plague which had taken place in England had killed about 100,000 people and some of them are assumed to be buried in Bedlam cemetery. It is also known as Bethlehem and New Churchyard since it was opened when the others had started to be full.

 The cemetery is now being excavated in order to permit the construction of the new Liverpool Street Station which would be serving the cross-London rail network.