The tangled remains of medieval kings and bishops at Winchester Cathedral are finally beginning to give up their secrets. After more than a decade of scientific analysis, researchers are closer than ever to identifying the individuals whose bones were mixed together following the destruction of the cathedral’s mortuary chests during the English Civil War.
“This project demonstrates the combined power of science, the study of human remains and historical research to discover new information about the six mortuary chests and their occupants which would not have been available to us a generation ago,” says Eleanor Swire, the cathedral’s curator.
That combination of disciplines—osteology, DNA testing, and radiocarbon dating—has been central to the Mortuary Chests Project, which began in 2012. Researchers have worked to separate and reconstruct skeletons from a chaotic mix of bones, carefully recording and analysing each piece.
Dr Heidi Dawson-Hobbis, a biological anthropologist at the University of Winchester, has led much of this work. Her task has been to effectively “excavate” the chests in a controlled setting, identifying which bones belong together and rebuilding individual skeletons using forensic techniques.
Reassembling the Dead
Dr Heidi Dawson-Hobbis, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at the University of Winchester, and Cathedral Curator Eleanor Swire with some of the wooden internal bone boxes – Photo courtesy University of Winchester
The challenge has been immense. When the chests were broken open in 1642, bones from multiple individuals were scattered and mixed together. For centuries, their identities were obscured.
Now, through detailed anatomical study and scientific testing, researchers are beginning to reverse that damage. Radiocarbon dating ensures individuals from similar periods—ranging from the seventh to twelfth centuries—are grouped together, while DNA and isotopic studies offer further clues about identity, ancestry, and diet.
A full inventory has also been created, documenting exactly where each bone is placed—an important resource for future researchers.
Reflecting on the project’s progress, Dr Dawson-Hobbis explains:
It is really special to see these remains returned to their resting place within the mortuary chests knowing that we now have a full inventory of their contents. This information will be held within an archive at the Cathedral and we hope to publish the full results over the next year or so. We currently await the final results from a DNA and isotopic studies.
Kings, Queens—and Unknown Figures
The chests bear the names of some of early medieval England’s most important figures, including:
William II of England – Often called William Rufus, he ruled England from 1087 to 1100 as the son of William the Conqueror. His reign was marked by strong royal authority, conflicts with the Church, and campaigns to secure control over Normandy. He remains a controversial figure, known for both effective governance and accusations of impiety. His sudden death while hunting in the New Forest—struck by an arrow—has long been surrounded by suspicion and intrigue.
Cnut the Great – A Danish ruler who became king of England in 1016, he went on to control a vast North Sea empire that included Denmark and Norway. Despite his Viking background, he proved to be a capable and pragmatic king, maintaining stability and working closely with the English Church. His reign is often viewed as a period of consolidation after decades of conflict. He is also remembered in legend for the story of commanding the tide, illustrating the limits of royal power.
Emma of Normandy – One of the most influential royal women of the early medieval period, she served as queen to two different kings of England. She first married Æthelred the Unready and later Cnut the Great, linking Anglo-Saxon and Danish dynasties. As the mother of both Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor, she played a central role in succession politics. Her life and influence are partially recorded in the Encomium Emmae Reginae, a work likely commissioned to promote her legacy.
Other names point to some of the most important royal and ecclesiastical figures in early medieval Wessex and England:
Cynegils – A seventh-century king of Wessex, he is best known for converting to Christianity, an important step in the Christianisation of the kingdom. His reign helped lay the foundations for Wessex’s later rise to power.
Cynewulf – He ruled Wessex in the later eighth century during a period of political instability and internal conflict. His violent death is one of the more dramatic episodes recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Ecgbert – Ruling from 802 to 839, he was one of the kings who helped turn Wessex into the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Later tradition often regarded him as an early ruler of a united England.
Æthelwulf – The son of Ecgbert, he ruled Wessex from 839 to 858 and faced growing Viking pressure during his reign. He is also remembered as the father of Alfred the Great.
Eadred – King of England from 946 to 955, he played a major role in bringing Northumbria under firm English control. Despite poor health, he proved to be an effective ruler in a crucial period of consolidation.
Edmund – King of England from 939 to 946, he worked to maintain the unity of the kingdom after the reign of his half-brother Æthelstan. His reign was cut short by a violent death at a feast.
Bishop Wine – A seventh-century bishop of Winchester, he was involved in the turbulent politics of the early English Church. His career reflects the close and sometimes difficult relationship between bishops and kings in this period.
Bishop Alwine – Less is known about him than some of the other figures named on the chests, but his inclusion suggests he was an important churchman at Winchester. Ongoing research may help clarify more about his date and status.
The chests likely contain additional individuals—some still unidentified, others possibly misattributed over the centuries.
A New Chapter for the Mortuary Chests
The remains were carefully reinterred earlier this year. The cathedral also plans to commission two new chests to house the remains of nine individuals who remain unidentified but are of “ongoing scientific interest.”
The Mortuary Chests Project is far from complete. Final results from DNA and isotopic testing are expected later this year, and these may provide the clearest answers yet about who lies within the chests.
What is already clear, however, is that modern science is transforming how we understand these medieval remains. By reconstructing skeletons and analysing their biological signatures, researchers are moving closer to identifying individuals who have been lost to history for centuries.
Top Image: Photo courtesy University of Winchester
The tangled remains of medieval kings and bishops at Winchester Cathedral are finally beginning to give up their secrets. After more than a decade of scientific analysis, researchers are closer than ever to identifying the individuals whose bones were mixed together following the destruction of the cathedral’s mortuary chests during the English Civil War.
“This project demonstrates the combined power of science, the study of human remains and historical research to discover new information about the six mortuary chests and their occupants which would not have been available to us a generation ago,” says Eleanor Swire, the cathedral’s curator.
That combination of disciplines—osteology, DNA testing, and radiocarbon dating—has been central to the Mortuary Chests Project, which began in 2012. Researchers have worked to separate and reconstruct skeletons from a chaotic mix of bones, carefully recording and analysing each piece.
Dr Heidi Dawson-Hobbis, a biological anthropologist at the University of Winchester, has led much of this work. Her task has been to effectively “excavate” the chests in a controlled setting, identifying which bones belong together and rebuilding individual skeletons using forensic techniques.
Reassembling the Dead
The challenge has been immense. When the chests were broken open in 1642, bones from multiple individuals were scattered and mixed together. For centuries, their identities were obscured.
Now, through detailed anatomical study and scientific testing, researchers are beginning to reverse that damage. Radiocarbon dating ensures individuals from similar periods—ranging from the seventh to twelfth centuries—are grouped together, while DNA and isotopic studies offer further clues about identity, ancestry, and diet.
A full inventory has also been created, documenting exactly where each bone is placed—an important resource for future researchers.
Reflecting on the project’s progress, Dr Dawson-Hobbis explains:
It is really special to see these remains returned to their resting place within the mortuary chests knowing that we now have a full inventory of their contents. This information will be held within an archive at the Cathedral and we hope to publish the full results over the next year or so. We currently await the final results from a DNA and isotopic studies.
Kings, Queens—and Unknown Figures
The chests bear the names of some of early medieval England’s most important figures, including:
William II of England – Often called William Rufus, he ruled England from 1087 to 1100 as the son of William the Conqueror. His reign was marked by strong royal authority, conflicts with the Church, and campaigns to secure control over Normandy. He remains a controversial figure, known for both effective governance and accusations of impiety. His sudden death while hunting in the New Forest—struck by an arrow—has long been surrounded by suspicion and intrigue.
Cnut the Great – A Danish ruler who became king of England in 1016, he went on to control a vast North Sea empire that included Denmark and Norway. Despite his Viking background, he proved to be a capable and pragmatic king, maintaining stability and working closely with the English Church. His reign is often viewed as a period of consolidation after decades of conflict. He is also remembered in legend for the story of commanding the tide, illustrating the limits of royal power.
Emma of Normandy – One of the most influential royal women of the early medieval period, she served as queen to two different kings of England. She first married Æthelred the Unready and later Cnut the Great, linking Anglo-Saxon and Danish dynasties. As the mother of both Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor, she played a central role in succession politics. Her life and influence are partially recorded in the Encomium Emmae Reginae, a work likely commissioned to promote her legacy.
Other names point to some of the most important royal and ecclesiastical figures in early medieval Wessex and England:
Cynegils – A seventh-century king of Wessex, he is best known for converting to Christianity, an important step in the Christianisation of the kingdom. His reign helped lay the foundations for Wessex’s later rise to power.
Cynewulf – He ruled Wessex in the later eighth century during a period of political instability and internal conflict. His violent death is one of the more dramatic episodes recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Ecgbert – Ruling from 802 to 839, he was one of the kings who helped turn Wessex into the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Later tradition often regarded him as an early ruler of a united England.
Æthelwulf – The son of Ecgbert, he ruled Wessex from 839 to 858 and faced growing Viking pressure during his reign. He is also remembered as the father of Alfred the Great.
Eadred – King of England from 946 to 955, he played a major role in bringing Northumbria under firm English control. Despite poor health, he proved to be an effective ruler in a crucial period of consolidation.
Edmund – King of England from 939 to 946, he worked to maintain the unity of the kingdom after the reign of his half-brother Æthelstan. His reign was cut short by a violent death at a feast.
Bishop Wine – A seventh-century bishop of Winchester, he was involved in the turbulent politics of the early English Church. His career reflects the close and sometimes difficult relationship between bishops and kings in this period.
Bishop Alwine – Less is known about him than some of the other figures named on the chests, but his inclusion suggests he was an important churchman at Winchester. Ongoing research may help clarify more about his date and status.
The chests likely contain additional individuals—some still unidentified, others possibly misattributed over the centuries.
A New Chapter for the Mortuary Chests
The remains were carefully reinterred earlier this year. The cathedral also plans to commission two new chests to house the remains of nine individuals who remain unidentified but are of “ongoing scientific interest.”
The Mortuary Chests Project is far from complete. Final results from DNA and isotopic testing are expected later this year, and these may provide the clearest answers yet about who lies within the chests.
What is already clear, however, is that modern science is transforming how we understand these medieval remains. By reconstructing skeletons and analysing their biological signatures, researchers are moving closer to identifying individuals who have been lost to history for centuries.
Top Image: Photo courtesy University of Winchester
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