The remains of more than 240 people, including children, have been unearthed by archaeologists working on the remnants of a medieval priory found beneath a former department store.
The “hugely significant” discovery was made under the old Ocky White building in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Archaeologists believe the ruins are from St Saviour’s Priory, founded by a Dominican order of monks in about 1256.
One expert said it offered a “window into medieval Haverfordwest”.
Ocky White was a popular store for more than a century before its riverside premises closed in 2013.
One theory is that the victims could date from an attack led by Owain Glyndŵr, who was the last native Welsh person to hold the title Prince of Wales.
It was a joint assault by Welsh and French forces, who had united to battle English occupation of Wales.
“We know that the town was besieged in 1405 by Owain Glyndŵr and they could be victims of that conflict,” said Mr Shobbrook.
The remains and other finds, including tiles, are being stored at a nearby disused shop after being cleaned and dried.
Members of the trust suspect that the site is linked with the second location of the medieval friary of St Saviours which up to this point had not been discovered by archaeologists. St Saviours friary was home to eight extremely wealthy blackfriars, who generated their wealth through gifts from landowners, lords and royalty.
These friars made it their mission to preach and tend to the poor and sick. The building, which dates back to 1258, was destroyed in 1538 by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries.
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Hundreds of years later, the site was home to the Ocky White department store, which was popular with shoppers for more than a century. The premises shut down in 2013. Pembrokeshire County Council is spending £6.3m on redeveloping the Western Quayside site – which will see the old Ocky Whites department store developed into “an attractive and vibrant local produce destination and marketplace”.
There used to be a medieval friary in this location, Dyfed Archaeological Trust’s site manager Andrew Shobbrook told the BBC : “It’s quite a prestigious place to be buried. You have a range of people, from the wealthy to general townsfolk.”
It has been theorised that the burial site could have been used until the start of the 18th century. Approximately half of the remains are those of children, which is said to be consistent with their high mortality rate during this period.
All the bones will be the subject of a specialist analysis before being buried again on nearby consecrated ground. Head injuries were detected among some of the remains, leading experts to believe they could’ve been involved in battle with wounds perhaps caused by arrows or musket balls, Mr Shobbrook suggests.138254545098
