DURHAM, ENGLAND—Two complete skeletons have been discovered in what is thought to be an Anglo-Saxon cemetery on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast of England, according to a report from Chronicle Live. The cemetery is believed to have been linked to the island’s monastery, and those buried in it may have included those who worked the monastery’s land or pilgrims who traveled to the island. Another dig on the island recently discovered an early church. “They found the church and we have found the congregation,” said Durham University archaeologist David Petts, who led the cemetery excavation. The two complete skeletons will be analyzed for insights into the individuals’ diet, health, and geographic origins. The discovery of seal bones along with the remains of other animals offers an initial clue into what the people on the island were eating. “They are hunting seals and making the most of the resources available to them,” said Petts. A charnel pit containing bones that may have been gathered together after being turned up by plowing was also discovered. To read in-depth about Anglo-Saxon England, go to “Letter From England: Stronghold of the Kings in the North.”
