Skeletons hold hands for 700 years

A couple of skeletons which have been "holding hands" for 700 years have been uncovered at the lost chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire, central England.

The team of archaeologists and volunteers record their findings at the chapel and the cemetery.

The four-year excavation project has uncovered 11 skeletons so far, as well as building remains and coins from the 12th and 16th centuries.

• Two skeletons were found holding hands, buried at a lost chapel in Leicester


• 11 skeletons have been found so far, but are yet to be analyzed


• Early findings suggest one died by being struck on the head with a pole axe


• Leicester was also the site where the remains of King Richard III were found

(CNN) -- Even death couldn't part two skeletons excavated from a lost chapel in an English county, found with their fingers entwined.

A team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) are working with volunteers on a four-year excavation project at the site, which overlooks the small village of Hallaton.

Vicki Score, ULAS project manager, says the skeletons were placed together in this position, as there was enough room in the grave to have them buried apart.

Chemical clues reveal Richard III's diet

Cracking the genetic code of Richard III

British scientists announced on February 4 that they were convinced "beyond reasonable doubt" that a skeleton found during an archaeological dig in Leicester, England, in August 2012 is that of King Richard III, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones was matched to Michael Ibsen, a Canadian cabinetmaker and direct descendant of Richard III's sister, Anne of York.

Scientists at the University of Leicester say their examination of the skeleton shows Richard met a violent death: They found evidence of 11 wounds -- nine to the head and two to the body -- that they believe were inflicted at or around the time of death. Here, the base of the skull shows one of the potentially fatal injuries. This shows clearly how a section of the skull had been sliced off.

The lower jaw shows a cut mark caused by a knife or dagger. The archaeologists say the wounds to Richard's head could have been what killed him.

A wound to the cheek, possibly caused by a square-bladed dagger, can be seen here.

This hole in the top of the skull represents a penetrating injury to the top of the head.

Two flaps of bone, related to the penetrating injury to the top of the head, can clearly be seen on the interior of the skull.

The image shows a blade wound to the pelvis, which has penetrated all the way through the bone.

Here, a cut mark on the right rib can be seen.

As the skeleton was being excavated, a notable curve in the spine could be seen. (The width of the curve is correct, but the gaps between vertebrae have been increased to prevent damage from them touching one another.)

The body was found in a roughly hewn grave that experts say was too small for the body, forcing it to be squeezed into an unusual position. The positioning also shows that his hands may have been tied.

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

The remains of King Richard III

Aside from the bonded couple, 11 skeletons have been found so far, which are yet to be analyzed, but some discoveries have been made already.

Score says one was of an older man aged 46 or over who appeared to have been struck on the head with a sharp weapon such as a pole axe. Another, she says, was in his mid-twenties, with teeth showing severe childhood trauma during the first nine years of his life.

"He was buried in a very unusual position in a pit with his legs splayed widely apart, arms flexed at the elbows and hands tucked beneath his chin.

"We have no idea why he was buried like this -- it could possibly be due to a medical condition."

Both skeletons also had lesions on their skulls which suggest they had head lice.

The team are hoping to find out more about how the gravesite was chosen.

Score says: "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?"

It is thought the chapel may have served as a pilgrimage, or the main church possibly refused to bury the bodies because they were criminals, foreigners or diseased.

She adds that Roman archaeology beneath the chapel imply that something important already existed there, which made it a special place.

Other findings include the walls and tiled floors of the site, fragments of stone masonry, wall plaster, tiles and lead from the windows. Silver pennies dating between the 12th and 16th centuries give clues as to when the chapel was in use.

In 2000, the Hallaton Treasure was discovered, consisting of Iron Age coins, parts of Roman helmets and debris from feasting.

The county was also where the remains of 15th-century monarch Richard III were uncovered beneath a parking lot in 2012, raising questions about how the controversial ruler lived and died.

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