'Medieval' skeletons uncovered by work at shopping centre

The team was working on the 7m project in Gloucester when they made the discovery, watched by an archaeologist.

Now an expert osteoarchaelogist in York is to examine the remains in the hope of discovering more about the exact age of the bodies and other details, such as sex.

The men were digging foundations for a wall when the bodies were unearthed on Tuesday.

Two complete adult skeletons were uncovered, along with the remnants of a coffin, in the city's Kimbrose Triangle.

The bodies, which were lying one on top of the other about a metre down, will not be displayed and will instead be given a respectful reburial after they are examined.

Nigel Edgeworth, the council's projects manager, said yesterday: "We were putting in the foundations for a wall when we came across the two skeletons.

"The minute we go below half a metre we have an archaeologist watching us. It is very exciting from a historical point of view, and adds more to the picture of Gloucester's history."

The figures were originally thought to be Roman, as Roman pottery fragments were found in the same area. But the coffin burial suggests they are medieval, experts believe. Traces of timber and nails have been discovered.

Mr Edgeworth added: "We can see that they were buried outside the wall of Gloucester, what was the city wall. Roman pottery fragments were found around them, but the burial in coffins shows they were perhaps medieval.

"It was perhaps one coffin on top of another and the wood rotted."

Finds of skeletons are not unknown in Gloucester – a Roman burial ground was found in nearby Parliament Street –- and archaeologists anticipated unearthing something at this spot.

The site in Kimbrose Way is rich in history. It gets its name from St Kyneburgh, who, the story goes, was killed and thrown down a well near the city's south gate.

She ran away from an arranged marriage, wanting to remain a virgin. She was adopted by a local baker only for the baker's wife to kill her out of jealousy.

St Kyneburgh's chapel was built in Kimbrose Way and later converted in the 16th century into almshouses by Sir Thomas Bell, who ran a cap factory at the nearby Blackfriars Priory.

Paul Nichols, from the council's archaeology service, said it was possible that the skeletons could come from that time.

He said: "The site of St Kyneburgh's is recorded as being at the site of the south gate but there are no exact records to say where it is because it was demolished."