Overview

• The 300 kg stone sarcophagus lid was removed in March and the wooden coffin’s lid was lifted this month under high security to expose mixed sediment, textiles, plant fragments and scattered human bones.
• Initial on-site inspection indicates the skeleton belongs to a roughly 60-year-old man standing about 1.78 m tall, well above the medieval average.
• Visible joint wear and dental evidence point to chronic arthritis, periodontal disease and a lifetime of horseback riding.
• Dendrochronological studies show the pine coffin was built from timber of varied ages, likely during a 1207 reburial, with later openings marked by eggshells and textile remains.
• Conservation is slated to run through late summer 2026, with detailed analyses due in about a year and a new wooden coffin under construction for eventual reinterment.