More than 300 bodies have been found buried under a Welsh department store. Dyfed Archaeological Trust confirmed it had unearthed 307 graves during its excavation work of the old Ocky White store in the centre of Haverfordwest. It comes as the trust prepares to wind down its operations in what has been one of the town’s most comprehensive archaeological digs in its history.
Dyfed Archaeological Trust first discovered signs of 700-year-old relics and human remains in March this year during initial groundworks in preparation for a multi-million-pound regeneration development in Haverfordwest. Work was put on hold to allow archaeologists access to the site in order to carry out a comprehensive dig.
The trust has now finally completed its excavations at the site on the town’s Bridge Street having discovered 307 skeletons, half of which belong to children. It also revealed details of what experts think is a squashed patterned dish together with a squashed chalice underneath, both of which were buried within the hands of a person.
The demolished department store in Haverfordwest is believed to be the site of St Saviour’s Priory, which was founded by a Dominican order of monks around 1256. But many of the bodies found there have been battle-scarred. The remains of hundreds of human bodies are thought to be linked to an attack by Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndwr in 1405. Site supervisor Andrew Shobbrook, from Dyfed Archaeological Trust, said the information unearthed by the dig, which has gone on for more than six months, will be invaluable in painting a picture of Haverfordwest’s past.
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