Skeletons Found at Lost Chapel Have Been Holding Hands for 700 Years

The Chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire has often been called the "Lost Chapel," as the 14th century pilgrimage site has been a site of excavation for archaeologists for the last four years. Today, archaeologists from the University of Leicester have uncovered a lost couple in their excavation: two skeletons whose hands have been interlocked for the last 700 years.

Project manager Vicki Score said: "'We have seen similar skeletons before from Leicester where a couple has been buried together in a single grave. The main question we find ourselves asking is why were they buried up there? There is a perfectly good church in Hallaton. This leads us to wonder if the chapel could have served as some sort of special place of burial at the time."

The skeletons are two of eleven skeletons uncovered at the site. The researchers believe that the couple may have been refused burial in the main church because they were sick, criminals, or foreigners. The skeletons and other artifacts excavated from the site have been carbon dated to the 14th century. The researchers also found Roman archaeology that indicates the hillside may have been a place of significance for the Romans over 2,000 years ago.