World · Europe · 1 hr ago
Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey likely held a medieval abbot
Researchers think a Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey was reused for a medieval burial.
The limestone tomb was made in the 4th century and bears an inscription naming Valerius Amandinus, a local man who lived between 300 and 400 CE.
Its medieval cross and the age of the remains suggest the coffin held someone else.
Stone analysis and carbon dating point to two possible occupants: Abbot Aelfwig, who died around 1020, or his successor Wulnoth, who died in 1049.
The buried man was estimated to be 35 to 49 years old, challenging an earlier 19th-century estimate that he was younger than 30.
Researchers have not identified him definitively, though the archaeological consultant favors Aelfwig.
Reusing the Roman tomb was likely meant to honor the monk, rather than insult the person named on its inscription.
The sarcophagus was found in 1820 and repaired in 1869; the new research narrows the mystery but does not settle it.
A Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey likely held the remains of a high-ranking medieval monk, researchers say.
The two candidates are Aelfwig, an abbot who died around 1020, and his successor Wulnoth, who died in 1049.
The sarcophagus was made in the fourth century and bears an inscription to Valerius Amandinus, but its lid was later carved with a medieval cross.
Analysis indicates the man buried inside was about 5 feet 9 inches tall and aged between 35 and 49 when he died.
Researchers say the Roman coffin may have been reused to honor the monk.
- Who
- The likely occupant was either Westminster Abbot Aelfwig or his successor, Wulnoth.
- What
- Researchers say a Roman sarcophagus probably held the remains of a medieval monk.
- When
- The sarcophagus dates to the fourth century; the monk likely died around 1020 or in 1049.
- Where
- Westminster Abbey in London, England.
- Why
- The sarcophagus was likely reused as an honored burial for a high-ranking monk.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The limestone sarcophagus was made and inscribed for Valerius Amandinus.
Workers exposed the tomb and accidentally cracked its lid into six pieces.
The sarcophagus was repaired and archaeologists discovered the remains inside.
Researchers reported that the remains likely belonged to Aelfwig or Wulnoth.
- Sarcophagus date
- 4th century
- First exposed
- 1820
- Archaeological discovery
- 1869
- Likely candidates
- Aelfwig or Wulnoth
- Estimated age at death
- 35 to 49 years
- Estimated height
- About 5 feet 9 inches
5 sources
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What people are saying
We have two viable contenders for the occupant of the sarcophagus
We do not know the date of birth of either. But either would fit equally well if we assume the Abbot was in his early twenties when the appointment was made and close to fifty when he died