Researchers just discovered 100s of bodies in a garden outside a church. Now they must solve the mystery of how and why they got there.

How Did They Get There? 

Over 120 bodies were recently unearthed in a garden outside a small British church in the city of Leicester, England. Now referred to as "Leicester's Lost," scientists are eager to find out what happened to these people, whose deaths showed no signs of foul play.

Leicester's History With Archaeology

The city of Leicester has long been an archaeological hotspot. In 2012, the remains of King Richard III (the last Plantagenet King), who died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth during the War Of The Roses, were discovered underneath a car park in Leicester.

Aerial view of Leicester cathedral in Leicester

Alexey Fedorenko, Shutterstock

The Find

In mid-November last year, researchers unearthed a vertical tomb encasing 123 bodies near Leicester Cathedral, a three-minute walk from where Richard III's body now lies.

Leicester Cathedral Nave, Leicestershire, UK

David Iliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

How Did They Find Them?

In 2023, Leicester Cathedral built a Heritage Garden after a tenfold increase in visitors due to the discovery of King Richard III's body. This meant excavating beneath the existing grounds and conducting an archaeological survey.

Richard III's new tomb in Leicester Cathedral

Isananni, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Archaeological Survey Turned Up 123 Bodies

During their surveying, Mathew Morris, Project Officer at Leicester University's archaeology department, uncovered 123 bodies of men, women, and children.

The Fielding Johnson Building at the University of Leicester

NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons