Overview

• The wooden coffin inside Otto the Great’s stone sarcophagus was opened in June 2025, revealing a male skeleton estimated at around 60 years old.
• The bones show a stature of about 1.78 meters—roughly ten centimeters above the medieval average—and exhibit signs of arthritis and dental disease consistent with a life of riding.
• Researchers also uncovered textile fragments, plant residues and eggshells, reflecting typical Christian burial practices symbolizing resurrection.
• Radiocarbon dating indicates the pine-wood coffin dates to the High Middle Ages, likely made when Otto’s remains were relocated after the 1207 cathedral fire.
• Comprehensive anthropological and bioarchaeological tests will verify the remains’ identity and explore his health, appearance and cause of death before a planned reburial in late summer 2026.