11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

One of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK has been unearthed next to Leicester Cathedral

While excavating the gardens of Leicester Cathedral for the future construction of a learning center, archaeologists uncovered one of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK.

Archaeologists initially suspected that this 12th-century burial pit containing the remains of 123 people were victims of the Black Death, but radiocarbon dating revealed that the graves predate the disease by about 150 years.

Researchers questioned whether famine or disease was to blame for the deaths because, despite the size of the burial, no signs of violence were discovered. They are now trying to figure out what led to such an abrupt mass casualty incident.

The team, led by Mathew Morris, Project Officer at the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, concluded that the pit was filled rapidly in three successive deposits.

Morris, in an interview published by The Guardian, stated that the bodies appear to have been brought in cartloads and dropped into the shaft within a short period. He estimated the buried individuals represented about 5 percent of Leicester’s medieval population.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles repeatedly mention great pestilences and fevers, severe mortality, and miserable deaths from hunger and famine in England from the mid-10th century through to the mid-12th century, said Morris. “This mass burial fits within this timeframe and provides physical proof of what was then occurring across the nation.”

Archaeologists carry out excavations at Leicester Cathedral. Image Credit: Mathew Morris / ULAS
Archaeologists carry out excavations at Leicester Cathedral. Image Credit: Mathew Morris / ULAS

To find the pathogens that could be responsible for the mass deaths, samples have been sent to the Francis Crick Institute in London. The lack of clothing remnants indicates that the bodies were prepared consciously, and burial customs allude to civic organization even in emergencies.

The burial pit was discovered during work for a heritage learning center, which followed the unearthing of Richard III’s remains in 2012.

The identity of Leicester Cathedral as a house of worship, a destination for pilgrims, and a tourist destination was drastically altered when King Richard III’s remains were found in a parking lot in Leicester. His body was reburied in a purpose-built tomb at Leicester Cathedral in 2015, triggering an increase in the number of visitors to the church.

To keep up with the influx of guests, officials approved plans to build a heritage learning center in the cathedral’s gardens. Archaeologists were brought in to excavate the site ahead of construction — and they revealed nearly 1,200 burials spanning over eight centuries, offering a unique glimpse into Leicester’s past.

Cover Image Credit: Mathew Morris / ULAS

Related Articles

A Rare Ancient Saber Discovered in Kyrgyzstan

5 August 2023

5 August 2023

An ancient saber (heavy military sword with a long cutting edge and, often, a curved blade) was found by three...

Archaeologists Discover Assyrian-Style Leather Armor 2,700 Years Old in China

11 December 2021

11 December 2021

The new research shows that the unique leather armor found in a horse rider’s tomb in Northwest China was made...

Pot Overflowing with Persian Gold Coins from 400 BC Discovered in Türkiye

4 August 2024

4 August 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Michigan have uncovered a pot of ancient Persian gold coins in the ancient city of...

“Urartian Royal garbage dump” was found during excavations at Ayanis Castle

3 September 2022

3 September 2022

During the excavations carried out in the Ayanis Castle, which was built by the Urartian King Rusa II on the...

Bronze Age burial chamber discovered on Dartmoor, England

14 May 2024

14 May 2024

Excitement has been felt among archaeologists over the discovery of a Bronze Age burial chamber on Dartmoor, which may provide...

Hundreds of oil lamps discovered in Aigai, “the City of Goats”

23 September 2023

23 September 2023

During the ongoing excavations in the Aigai Ancient City, located near the Yuntdağı Köseler Village of Manisa province in western...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

Archaeologists discovered a Thracian tomb from the time of the Odrysian kingdom in southern Bulgaria

13 September 2023

13 September 2023

Archaeologists from the Haskovo Regional Museum of History discovered a third Thracian tomb with murals the likes of those in...

Spectacular Roman Mosaics Unearthed in Thalheim bei Wels: A Unique Discovery in Upper Austria

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Salzburg uncovered three exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics during excavations A remarkable archaeological discovery has captivated...

A rare bronze talismanic healing bowl was discovered in Hasankeyf excavations

3 December 2023

3 December 2023

During the ongoing excavations in the Hasankeyf mound in Batman, one of the oldest settlements in the world, an 800-year-old...

Shocking Images Appeared As The Waters Recede

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

As the dams recede, the remains of the flooded settlements come to light. This time Kayseri witnessed these images that...

5,700-Year-old Ancient “Chewing Gum” Gives Information About People and Bacteria of the Past

4 April 2021

4 April 2021

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have successfully extracted the complete human genome from “chewing gum” thousands of years ago....

A Large Roman Building Discovered on the Limmat

13 April 2024

13 April 2024

In the Steinacher area (Canton of Aargau) on the Limmat there was a Roman settlement that was significantly larger than...

Scientists Find Aztec ‘Death Whistles’ do Weird Things to the Listeners’ Brains

18 November 2024

18 November 2024

New research reveals that one of the Aztecs’ most chilling artefacts, clay death whistles, which resemble a human skull and...

Bronze Age Ceremonial Sword Found in Håre in Vestfyn will be on Display Soon

13 March 2021

13 March 2021

Archaeologists excavating the village of Håre on the island of Funen in Denmark have discovered an ornate Bronze Age sword...