[danielsan]

Interesting stuff from my home town.

Link below - I didn't c&p as I am unsure if the video in the article would have worked.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Ar...ail/story.html

Regards
Dan

[icheerthebull]

Archaeologists have opened a unique and mysterious lead coffin which was discovered just metres from the grave of Richard III.

The casket - the first of its kind to be unearthed in Leicester - was found at the Grey Friars dig site, in August 2013, one year after the bones of King Richard III were exhumed.

It contained a set of female remains, which experts carefully removed and studied after transporting them back to the University of Leicester.
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They found that the occupant was an elderly woman, who could have been an early benefactor of the friary – as radiocarbon dating shows she might have been buried not long after the church was completed in 1250.

Her lead coffin, with an inlaid crucifix, the location of her burial in presbytery of the friary's church (possibly close to the high altar) meant that she had a special significance to the holy Catholic order.

The discovery is the first example of an intact medieval stone coffin to be unearthed in Leicester during modern excavations.

Site director Mathew Morris said: “The stone sarcophagus was a tapered box carved from a single block of limestone. Inside, the wider end was curved, creating a broad head niche.

“Unfortunately, the stone lid did not properly fit the coffin allowing water to get inside, and its immense weight had badly cracked the sarcophagus, meaning it could not be lifted intact.

“However, inside the inner lead coffin was undamaged except for a hole at the foot end of the casket where the lead had decayed and collapsed inward exposing the skeleton’s feet.

“This is the first stone coffin in Leicester to be excavated using modern archaeological practices.

“This makes it a unique discovery which will provide important new insights into the lives of the people of medieval Leicester.”

The high status female was in one of 10 graves discovered in the grounds of the medieval complex.

Six of the graves were left undisturbed.

But those that were examined were all found to have female remains.

Mathew Morris, who led the dig said: “Although it might seem unusual that Richard III is the only male skeleton found inside the Grey Friars church, the other four skeletons all being female, it must be remembered that we have only excavated five of ten identified graves in the church’s chancel with the potential for hundreds more burials elsewhere inside the church, the other friary buildings and outside in the cemetery.”

[spudigitti]

Lead jacket....

[meekamouse]

He has a Jigger on his eyelid