Possible 14th Century Burial Ground for Plague Victims Found in UK

Railway workers in the U.K. may have uncovered a burial ground for victims of Black Death Plague in Central London.

The Black Death Plague in 1348 killed thousands of people in Europe. Archaeologists working on an infrastructure project, Crossrail, found 13 skeletons that were laid in rows on the edge of Charterhouse Square at Farringdon. The skeletons are believed to be at least 660 years old, said the company in a news release.

The company said that the skeletons are now being taken to the Museum of London Archaeology for further analysis. Researchers will now be conducting genetic tests to add to our knowledge of the Black Death that swept through London in the past. Also, carbon dating will help researchers establish the burial ages.

"We will be undertaking scientific tests on the skeletons over the coming months to establish their cause of death, whether they were Plague victims from the 14th Century or later London residents, how old they were and perhaps evidence of who they were. However, at this early stage, the depth of burials, the pottery found with the skeletons and the way the skeletons have been set out, all point towards this being part of the  14th Century emergency burial ground," said Jay Carver, lead archeologist, Crossrail, in the news release.

No health risk                                                                                       

The excavation of the corpses will not lead to any health risk, as plague doesn't survive in the soil for a long time, the company said. 

Back in 1998, archeologists had discovered a single skeleton at the Charterhouse Square. However, this discovery wasn't enough to establish the place as a burial ground for victims of plague.

Recently, workers at a university construction site in Edinburgh found the remains of a medieval knight.