Case of mysterious medieval skeleton buried in Roman-era sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey finally solved

In the late 1800s, Westminster Abbey clergy discovered a mysterious sarcophagus with an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon cross lid and a fourth-century Roman funeral inscription base. For nearly 150 years, the tomb baffled experts, until now, according to a new study. The stone sarcophagus was unearthed in 1869, but experts later found that the burial had been looted earlier that century.

The side of the sarcophagus featured Roman-style decoration with a Latin inscription: "To the memory of Valerius Amandinus. Valerius Superventor and Marcellus made this for their father." Despite the medieval cross on the lid, no bones were found, leading experts to believe the tomb had been reused to bury an important religious figure hundreds of years later.

In 2016, when the sarcophagus was opened for conservation, a full skeleton was discovered, providing clues to the identity of the deceased. The male, middle-aged individual, of average height, showed signs of osteoarthritis, two healed rib injuries, and gout. Carbon dating confirmed the bones were from between 987 and 1052, indicating the Roman sarcophagus was reused in the Middle Ages.

Based on abbot tenure dates, the likely candidates were Wulfsige, Ælfwig, and Wulfnoth. Ælfwig, who was already a monk of Westminster, emerges as the most probable occupant. The reuse of Roman coffins is rare, and the Latin inscription's meaning suggests the Roman may have been a significant early Christian figure in Roman London.

However, the reason for the sarcophagus' reuse and its origin remain unknown. The sarcophagus is currently on display in Westminster Abbey's Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.