Archaeology & History

Medieval toilet leads to discovery of Anglo-Saxon king's long-lost palace

By T.K. Randall
February 6, 2025 ·  2 comments

King Harold II's death as depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. Image Credit: Public Domain The location of the palace of King Harold II - Britain's last Anglo-Saxon king who was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 - had remained something of an enigma, but now thanks to a new investigation using data from a rather unlikely source, its whereabouts have been found at last.

To find it, archaeologists combined ground-penetrating radar with data from earlier excavations and artwork dating back to the 11th century to pinpoint the location of his palace complex.

Particularly notable was data collected from a detailed analysis of a medieval en suite toilet - something typically only associated with individuals of high social status.The findings indicated that Harold's estate is likely now the site of the village of Bosham near Chichester, West Sussex and that his remains may lie beneath the local church.

This contradicts earlier beliefs that his remains were buried at Waltham Abbey in Essex.

"Looking at all the evidence, it is beyond reasonable doubt that we have now identified the location of King Harold's main power center, the one famously depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry," said Dr Duncan Wright, Senior Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Newcastle University.

It just goes to show that, while it might not be on par with anything you'd see in an Indiana Jones movie, even an old toilet can lead to the location of important archaeological discoveries.

Source: Independent | Comments (2)

Tags: King, Toilet