Archaeologists working alongside builders on a new London rail link have turned up a grisly find that harks back seven centuries, to a time when Black Death stalked the medieval city.
A shaft sunk for the underpinnings of the new Crossrail link in Farringdon revealed 13 skeletons, lined up neatly in two rows, the company said Friday.
Suspicions are that the dig has revealed a "plague pit" -- one of many mass graves used to dispose of the bodies of those who succumbed to the Black Death, or bubonic plague, in the 14th century.
Since then, the bones have lain undisturbed just 2.5 meters (8 feet) below the surface in one of the few areas of the central London neighborhood not to have been developed over the years.
Historical records talk of a "no man's land" established in 1348 in the Farringdon area, where some 50,000 plague victims were buried, according to a contemporary historian. Up to now the area has never been found.
The shaft sunk as part of Crossrail's construction is located on the edge of Charterhouse Square in Farringdon, formerly the site of a monastery.
Crossrail's lead archaeologist, Jay Carver, quoted in a company media release, said it was "a highly significant discovery," and one that left many questions still to answer.
"We will be undertaking scientific tests on the skeletons over the coming months to establish their cause of death, whether they were plague victims from the 14th century or later London residents, how old they were and perhaps evidence of who they were," he said.
"However, at this early stage, the depth of burials, the pottery found with the skeletons and the way the skeletons have been set out, all point towards this being part of the 14th century emergency burial ground."
The pottery found with the skeletons dates to before 1350, the archaeologists said.