Charles I shilling dropped to shoulder of young woman after burial in shallow grave in back garden

© Oxford Archaeology

© Oxford Archaeology

© Oxford Archaeology

© Oxford Archaeology

© Oxford Archaeology

The body of a young woman buried with a silver shilling on her eye in a 17th century shallow grave has been discovered in Oxford alongside a set of coins struck by Charles I at the Tower Mint during the Civil War.Archaeologists suspected the St Cross College site could have been an unknown burial ground. But other bones found at the site were confirmed as animal remains, with maps from the period suggesting that the area was used for gardening rather than buildings or cemeteries.“At present we have one young adult female burial that potentially dates from the English Civil War,” says Carl Champness, the Senior Project Manager for“The burial is unusual as it is currently isolated and not near to any known burial grounds.“The body was placed in a large shallow grave, in a burial shroud held in place with pins.“One Charles I silver shilling, struck at the Tower Mint in 1640 or 1641, was potentially placed on the eyes of the body and left to then fall close to her shoulders after burial.”The presence of the coin and lack of signs of disease suggest the woman could have come from a well-off family, according to experts. The dig began last week as part of the creation of a new West Quad at the college.