LONDON: Archaeologists have discovered a mysterious coffin-within-a-coffin from the same Leicester car park where England's King Richard III was famously buried for 500 years.

Experts returned to the site of the former Grey Friars Church at the beginning of July to learn more about the area, only to find a full intact stone casket with a lead coffin inside.

Archaeologists have discovered a mysterious coffin-within-a-coffin. Credit:Reuters

The same team of university archaeologists had previously discovered English King Richard III's skeleton in the remains of the friary church, now located under Leicester City Council's social services department.

"For me, it was as exciting as finding Richard III. We still don't know who is inside - so there is still a question mark over it," Mathew Morris, the site director of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, was quoted as saying in the announcement of the find on the university's website.