Forgotten Anglo-Saxon Church Dating Back 1,000 Years Discovered ‘With Thousands Of Bodies To Move’

During an excavation on the upcoming route of the HS2 high-speed railway, archaeologists uncovered the remnants of an Anglo-Saxon church beneath the old St. Mary’s Church, in Buckinghamshire.
St Mary’s Church existed from 1080 and is encircled by 3,000 bodies requiring relocation to enable the continuity of the railway. However, scientists were surprised to discover another church under the location, dating back to more than 1,000 years. Dr. Rachel Wood, project lead, said, “This is a fantastic discovery that we are all very excited to excavate.”

Source: SWNS

They found the remnants of the Anglo-Saxon church beneath the debris of a newer one

She continued, “The work undertaken at Old St Mary's is a unique archaeological opportunity to excavate a medieval parish church with over 900 years of meaning to the local community. It also gives us the opportunity to learn more about the community that used the church and to understand the lives they lived.”
“To then find an earlier structure beneath the Norman church is outstanding. To have so much of it remaining, including the walls and even some flooring, will provide a great deal of information about the site prior to the construction of the Norman church in 1080AD,” she added.  She also said that the discovery was a "once in a career opportunity for archaeologists".

Source: SWNS

The dig keeps going on in Buckinghamshire, where 3,000 bodies will require removing

The Norman church standing above the remnants of the Anglo-Saxon one fell into the state of dilapidation in the 1880s, and its rubble was mostly vegetation covered when archaeologists discovered it on the HS2 route.
The Norman church which stood above the remains of the Anglo Saxon one fell into disrepair in the 1880s and was mostly vegetation covered rubble when it found itself on the HS2 route. The HS2 team hasn’t responded to the question whether the new discovery will postpone their progress and push back the construction of the railway.

Source: Getty Images

The Anglo Saxons invaded Britain at the end of Roman rule around 1,500 years ago

Anglo-Saxons are people who resided in Britain since the 5^th century, arriving from northern Germany and southern Scandinavia and originating from 3 mighty tribes – the Angles, the Saxons and the Jules. They started to conquer Britain while the Romans were still dominating the land.
The conquered area slowly became known as England (from Angle-land) after hundreds of years. The period in which they ruled is often referred to as “The Dark Ages” - mainly because written sources for the early years of Saxon invasion are scarce.

Source: SWNS

Archaeologists need to move around 3,000 bodies from the site before HS2 is built