British archaeologists recently uncovered eerie medieval gravestones during a search around an ancient shipwreck. Bournemouth University announced the discovery in a press release on Friday. The gravestones were found in Studland Bay, off the coast of Dorset, and are believed to have been lying at the bottom of the English Channel for 800 years.
Maritime archaeologists worked for over two hours to bring the stones back to the surface last Tuesday. 'One immaculately preserved slab measures one and a half meters and weighs an estimated 70 kilograms,' the press release explained. 'The other, much larger slab is in two pieces, with a combined length of two meters and a weight of around 200 kilograms.' The slabs weigh around 154 pounds and 440 pounds, respectively.
Tom Cousins, an archaeologist who led the study, explained that the type of stone that the slabs were made from has also been found in Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral. 'The wreck went down in the height of the Purbeck stone industry, and the grave slabs we have here were a very popular monument for bishops and archbishops across all the cathedrals and monasteries in England at the time,' he explained.