Archaeologists have uncovered human remains dating back over 1,000 years during an excavation at The Old Bell Hotel near Malmesbury Abbey in the U.K.

They found 24 identifiable skeletons, believed to be Anglo-Saxon burials from the 7th century, specifically between 670 and 940 AD.

This discovery occurred on Bid Athelstan Dig Day, involving 13 dig sites across the town.

A representative from Cotswold Archaeology noted that while finding graves near a church is common, the number of burials and their unexpected location—west of the former cloisters rather than south of the Abbey—was remarkable.

This find is particularly significant as it marks the first identification of Saxon remains in Malmesbury, an area previously lacking physical evidence of early monastic life, Fox News has reported.

The Old Bell Hotel itself is a historical site dating back to 1220.

Written by B.C. Begley