Repurposed Medieval Sarcophagus Found in England

News September 11, 2018

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LINCOLN, ENGLAND—A medieval sarcophagus dating to the twelfth or thirteenth century has been uncovered at a construction site in England’s East Midlands, according to a Lincolnshire Live report. The sarcophagus was designed to be wider at one end, in order to support a pillow or headdress. A hole in its center would have allowed fluids to drain away from the body. Found next to the stone foundation of a fifteenth-century building, the sarcophagus was surrounded by stones and set level with a cobbled surface. It had probably been moved to the site to serve as a trough for feeding animals, or to process wool or leather. The three holes at its foot end are thought to have been drilled in the fifteenth century in order to speed up drainage for its new purpose. For more, go to “The Curse of a Medieval English Well.”

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