“Holy Island” Excavation Reveals Possible Tower Foundation

News July 12, 2016

(Russ Hamer)
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England Lindisfarne tower
(Russ Hamer)

NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND—A team led by archaeologist Richard Carlton of The Archaeological Practice has found traces of two structures on Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England known for its seventh-century priory and Christian saints. One trench revealed the foundation of a massive wall that may have been the foundation for a tower built without mortar, probably during the early medieval period. A second trench revealed traces of a similar structure that may have been a church. Historical sources dating to the eighth century refer to two churches, a guesthouse, a dormitory, and a watchtower on Lindisfarne. “Holy Island is one of the most significant sites in Britain in terms of early medieval heritage, there is a real possibility that we have uncovered two very significant buildings associated with the early Christian foundation of the priory which could provide a tangible link to the time of St. Cuthbert,” Sara Rushton of Northumberland County Council told the Berwick Advertiser. For more, go to "The First Vikings."

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