Human remains dating back to 7th century discovered at a hotel in UK

An eerie discovery has been made at The Old Bell Hotel in the United Kingdom. Archaeologists have stumbled upon human remains dating as far back as 1,000 years. Of these, 24 are "identifiable" skeletons dug up during excavation work, as per a press release. It includes men, women and kids, all of whom lived and died in Malmesbury Abbey. The researchers weren't actually looking for human remains but accidentally stumbled upon them when 13 dig sites across the town were excavated. Notably, the hotel is a recognised historical site dating back to 1220.

Volunteers worked with the archaeologists as part of the Big Athelstan Dig. The community archaeology event celebrates the 1,100th anniversary of Athelstan becoming the First King of all England.

As per the researchers, the human burials are from the 7th century, while the skeletons, identified as Anglo-Saxon, are likely from 670 to 940 AD. Cotswold Archaeology, who were involved in the digging, say that the discovery of human remains is not surprising since there was a church nearby. However, the sheer number of the remains has astounded the archaeologists.

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The hotel is located next to Malmesbury Abbey and the "graves are positioned not in the believed location of the medieval cemetery – to the south of the Abbey – but west of the former cloisters," a representative of Cotswold Archaeology told Fox News.

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The discovery of Saxon remains is also surprising, since no physical evidence has been found of an early monastic life in Malmesbury.

Construction of the hotel

The Old Bell Hotel was built approximately 500 years after the burials happened, so experts think the builders likely weren't aware of a cemetery being there. But construction workers must have come across the remains but built the hotel anyway.

"There is plentiful archaeological evidence that medieval walls were constructed directly over, and sometimes even through, burials," the representative said.

Meanwhile, hotel owners, Jim and Whit Hanks, are honoured to be a part of history.

"It's fitting that the earliest remains have been found near the Abbey, on the grounds of England's oldest hotel," they said.

Cotswold Archaeology currently has the remains and a decision on their storage will be made “in due course”, a hotel representative said.