Abbey skeleton narrowed to two medieval abbots

New skeletal analysis and radiocarbon dating have narrowed the likely identity of a man buried in a Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey to two medieval abbots, with archaeologist Warwick Rodwell saying Ælfwig may be the stronger candidate. The identification remains uncertain, and Wulfnoth is also a viable possibility. A bone sample was dated to between 987 and 1052, supporting Rodwell’s conclusion that the Roman coffin was reused for a burial in the late Saxon period. The sarcophagus bears an inscription naming Valerius Amandinus, a wealthy Briton who lived centuries earlier, while a medieval cross carved into its lid points to a later use. Rodwell, Westminster Abbey’s consultant archaeologist, identified Ælfwig, who died around 1020, and Wulfnoth, who died in 1049, as candidates. Both were abbots believed to have been buried at the Abbey. Rodwell said Ælfwig’s earlier connection to Westminster might favor him, but the available evidence does not establish which man was inside. The latest examination also revised the skeleton’s estimated age and height. James Langthorne, a human bone specialist with PreConstruct Archaeology, assessed the remains as those of a man aged...