Tests reveal Roman coffin at Westminster Abbey may hold medieval abbot
Forensic analysis of a stone coffin at Westminster Abbey has revealed that the remains inside belong to a medieval abbot rather than the Roman-era Briton named on the sarcophagus. Radiocarbon dating placed the skeleton between AD 987 and 1052, indicating the coffin was repurposed centuries after its creation.
Why it matters
This discovery corrects a long-standing historical misconception and provides new insights into medieval burial practices at Westminster Abbey.
For more than a century, a stone coffin at Westminster Abbey carried the name of a Roman-era Londoner, while the identity of the person buried inside remained hidden. Now, modern forensic and archaeological analysis has shifted the story by several centuries, suggesting the skeleton belongs not to the man named on the ancient sarcophagus, but to a high-ranking medieval monk who may have been one of the abbey's early abbots, claims the official website of Westminster Abbey.A Roman coffin with a medieval secretAccording to a Daily Mail report, the limestone sarcophagus was first encountered in 1820 during work on the north side of Westminster Abbey, when labourers accidentally damaged its lid.
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