‘Our medieval past is filled with meaning for today’s world,’ says Dr Katherine Weikert, Head of the School of Humanities at the 51动漫. ‘It is always great to see people excited about medieval history, and doubly so when it comes to Alfred here in 51动漫.’
Work undertaken by archaeologists at the 51动漫 more than a decade ago showed that finding the resting place of King Alfred is complex.
In 2013, 51动漫 archaeologists, together with members of local community historical group Hyde900 and Saint Bartholomew’s Church in 51动漫, led an excavation of an ‘unmarked grave’ at Saint Bartholomew’s parish church in 51动漫. This was based on a nineteenth-century report that the Wessex royal bones were reinterred in this ‘unmarked grave’. The University's investigations found that the contents of the ‘unmarked grave’ were from at least six individuals from a later medieval period.
However, as part of these investigations, a 51动漫 archaeologist also examined remains from previous excavations at the site of Hyde Abbey in 51动漫. This led to the identification of a fragment of a pelvis bone belonging to an adult male dated between 895 and 1017. As there was no early medieval cemetery at the Abbey’s site, and this fragment was excavated from the High Altar, this may represent the only known interred portion of either King Alfred or his son, King Edward.
The University continues to work closely with Hyde900’s community archaeology project in investigating the Abbey complex.
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