Over 300 skeletons and medieval church found at Gloucester City Campus site

Archaeological excavations at the site of the City Campus for the University of Gloucestershire revealed a remarkable time in Gloucester’s history, uncovering Roman, medieval, and post-medieval remains and artifacts. The dig, managed by Cotswold Archaeology, was conducted at the location of the former Debenhams department store in King’s Square, where there had been no previous archaeological investigations.

Over 300 skeletons and medieval church found at Gloucester City Campus siteOver 300 Skeletons and Medieval Church Found at Gloucester City Campus Site. Credit: Cotswold Archaeology / University of Gloucestershire

Among the finds are 317 human skeletons, believed to have been buried in two different churches that once occupied the site. Approximately half of the graves were found in 83 brick-lined vaults that belonged to the 18th-century St. Aldate’s Church, constructed circa 1750. The other, deeper graves are believed to have been from the earlier medieval church, which existed before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was probably destroyed in the mid-1600s after damage during the English Civil War.

Steve Sheldon, Cotswold Archaeology’s Acting Principal Manager, said, “Although the footprint of the medieval church was not identified during the current archaeological works, the identification of a limestone wall with surviving lime plaster most probably represents part of the earlier church.” Sheldon added that these remains, plus the carved stones, including a mid-14th-century window arch, will be preserved and displayed in the new City Campus.

Excavations also revealed signs of Roman occupation beneath the layers of subsequent activity. Archaeologists have recovered cobblestones, which could be from a 2nd-century road, the remains of a Roman townhouse, pottery fragments, and remnants of timber planking and walls. These features mirrored those discovered during limited archaeological work in the 1950s and 1960s.

Over 300 skeletons and medieval church found at Gloucester City Campus siteRuins of St. Oswald’s Priory in Gloucester, the city’s most famous medieval church. Credit: Philafrenzy / CC0 1.0

Cliff Bateman, Senior Project Officer at Cotswold Archaeology, described the finds as “unbelievable.” In addition to physical artifacts and structures, the human remains are also expected to offer a greater understanding of Gloucester’s population over the course of a thousand years.

As Bateman said, preliminary observations already indicate how diet changes, such as increased sugar consumption in the 16th century, impacted dental health. Ongoing scientific analysis of the remains is continuing, with full results expected to be published later.

When complete, the University of Gloucestershire’s City Campus will not only be a modern hub of education and community engagement but also a living testament to the city’s layered past, with students and visitors able to walk amidst over a thousand years of history.

More information: Cotswold Archaeology / University of Gloucestershire

Related Posts

Roman cavalry swords lead to discovery of Iron Age settlement and possible Roman villa in Gloucestershire

Roman cavalry swords lead to discovery of Iron Age settlement and possible Roman villa in Gloucestershire

A recent archaeological discovery near Willersey, Gloucestershire, has uncovered an Early Iron Age to Roman-period settlement following the discovery by a novice metal detectorist of two extremely…

Copper Age infant discovered in Italian well reveals rare genetic origins

Copper Age infant discovered in Italian well reveals rare genetic origins

Archaeologists in northeastern Italy have discovered a remarkable find in a well near Faenza, close to Ravenna: the highly degraded remains of an infant who lived 4,000…

Fisherman uncovers remarkably preserved medieval sword in Warsaw’s Vistula River

Fisherman uncovers remarkably preserved medieval sword in Warsaw’s Vistula River

In an unprecedented and rare find, a sword dating back to the medieval period was pulled out of the bottom of the Vistula River by a fisherman…

Ancient sloth bone from Uruguay shows signs of possible human-inflicted trauma 33,000 years ago

Ancient sloth bone from Uruguay shows signs of possible human-inflicted trauma 33,000 years ago

Researchers have discovered evidence of human interaction with megafauna considerably earlier than the widely accepted arrival of humans in South America. A 33,000-year-old right calcaneus (heel bone)…

Forgotten Indigenous child slaves of New France revealed in new studies

Forgotten Indigenous child slaves of New France revealed in new studies

Historical accounts between 1632 and 1760 show a chilling reality: 734 Indigenous children were enslaved in France’s North American colony. These children, torn from their families and…

Exceptionally preserved Roman wicker well with ladder unearthed in Norfolk

Exceptionally preserved Roman wicker well with ladder unearthed in Norfolk

Archaeologists at Oxford Archaeology have uncovered an astonishingly well-preserved Roman-era well in Norfolk, England, that offers rare insight into the lives of people in Roman Britain some…