Excavations revealed everything from a 14th-century Black Death group burial to three skeletons from the late 12th or early 13th centuries buried in coffins.

The first excavation at the Tower of London in decades uncovered over 20 skeletal remains. Archaeologists found everything from a group burial linked to the 1348 Black Death to three skeletons dating from the late 12th or early 13th centuries, buried in coffins. The on-site chapel is revealing much about London’s medieval past.

The dig, the first in a generation at the Tower, initially uncovered two skeletons dating to around 1500. Deeper excavations revealed roughly 20 additional burials, including a 14th-century mass grave likely connected to the plague.

Alfred Hawkins, curator of historic buildings at Historic Royal Palaces, said the excavations offered a rare opportunity to better understand the history of the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula and the buildings that preceded it.

The project began in 2019 as a trial excavation to prepare the Chapel Royal for a new elevator. The initial finds of two skeletons led to further digging outside the chapel, reaching depths of up to 10 feet, uncovering burials ranging from the Black Death era to costly coffined interments from the late 12th and early 13th centuries.