ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered the remains of what is believed to be a priest from the Middle Ages, buried with the “tools needed for the next life” beneath Lincoln Cathedral, in a breakthrough in understanding the importance of the historical city, Express.co.uk can exclusively reveal.

Lincoln Cathedral, which continues to be regarded as one of the most important Christian buildings in the UK, has stood over the city for over 900 years, with building works commencing in 1072. The find comes following excavations as part of the National Lottery-funded Lincoln Cathedral Connected project, which includes the delivery of vital restoration and renovation works to the iconic building, due to complete in 2022. In September 2019, archaeologists from Allen Archaeology Ltd uncovered more than 50 burials, but one of them stood out from the rest.

Senior Manager and seasoned archaeologist Natasha Powers told Express.co.uk: “The area around Lincoln Cathedral has always been known to have a lot of very important archaeology in it.

“When the Cathedral Connected project was put together, the archaeology and what might be encountered, was part of that project from the start.

“Lincoln Cathedral is important in its own right, but once upon a time, it was surrounded by medieval buildings.

“It certainly has a Saxon predecessor and is built in an area of Lincoln where there’s a lot of Roman archaeology as well.”

Archaeologists are working at Lincoln Cathedral (Image: GETTY/ALLEN ARCHAEOLOGY)

The team uncovered a skeleton in the ground (Image: ALLEN ARCHAEOLOGY)

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One of the many complete skeletons found is believed to be that of a medieval priest who had been buried in the area that is now the building’s West Parvis.

Ms Powers told Express.co.uk: “We’re still working on-site at the moment, we have a team still digging out bits and we haven’t done any of the post-excavation work for the burials yet.

“However, we did have this one burial that had a chalice and paten in its hand.

“Being buried with the tools used for communion is like being buried with the badge of your work.

“They were the work tools needed for the next life and a symbol of their job.

READ MORE: How 3,500-year-old ‘entrance to another world’ was uncovered near Peterborough

Natasha Powers spoke to Express.co.uk (Image: ALLEN ARCHAEOLOGY)

“That tells us this was a priest, the skeleton – which I’ve only looked at while it was in the ground – but I can tell it was a man.”

The objects were quite plain in style and similar examples have been dated to as far back as the 12th and 13th centuries.

It is not just skeletons that have been excavated during the project, with a host of fascinating historical artefacts currently being studied and dated too.

Other exciting finds from the excavations include a hand from a statue that may be from a very early frieze, and a coin depicting the face of Edward the Confessor the last king of the House of Wessex, who ruled from 1042 to 1066.

Ms Powers told Express.co.uk she is excited to see what else could come out of the ground.

A 12th-century priest was uncovered (Image: ALLEN ARCHAEOLOGY)

A chalice and paten was buried with the priest (Image: GETTY/ALLEN ARCHAEOLOGY)

She continued: “It’s the wonder of archaeology, you never know what you’re going to find.

“We know there is an extensive cemetery there, so the burials aren’t unexpected, but they are very interesting.

“What we have found is a lot of evidence of Medieval administrative buildings associated with the Cathedral, demolished in the 19th century.

“We also have evidence of some really early walls, the buildings that preceded the cathedral, so that’s going to be really interesting.

“The work we’ve been doing and because of the nature of the buildings, it gives us lots of little snapshots into the cathedral.”

Ms Powers explained how the team has uncovered pieces of construction from several periods of British history, including Roman and Tudor buildings.

The discoveries are helping the team map what the site may have looked like over time, giving an insight into the area.

She explained: “One of the really fascinating things will be joining the dots and seeing how the little sections of walls turn into building plans.

“The buildings are either earlier buildings of the cathedral itself or the church before the cathedral.

“There is also evidence of Roman buildings and Tudor stable blocks as well.

“We have beautifully painted Roman wall plaster, with flower patterns which  really good evidence the buildings were really high status.”

Some of the Roman wall plaster was painted with an intricate flowers and leaves design, while the rest features coloured bands.

The team believes they have plaster from three different rooms, some of which may be able to be reconstructed in the near future.

The finds were made possible thanks to the National Lottery-funded Connection project, which works to protect and safeguard the Cathedral for generations to come and create new spaces for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

The Reverend Canon, John Patrick, Subdean of Lincoln, explained the importance of the work.

He said: “The Connected project is enabling us to not only protect and restore the Cathedral but also to discover more about its history in terms of the buildings that stood here and the people who lived and worked here.

“We are always captivated by the many exciting objects that the archaeology team unearths during renovation works and the discovery of the priestly burial is significant. The finds really highlight the rich history of the religious site.

“The Cathedral remains open while these works are taking place, and we are looking forward to welcoming more people to the Cathedral and the new visitor’s centre this summer, where they will be able to view many of the artefacts for themselves.”