Ancient human remains discovered during a home renovation have been reburied, and the homeowner has reflected on the experience. In the spring of 2019, while working on a kitchen addition, a builder unearthed what seemed to be human bones at the home of Ross Sledger in Wye, Kent, England.
The remains were re-interred in August at a nearby church. Sledger initially thought the bones were those of a farm animal or pet. He recounted, “[The builder] said, ‘I’ve found some bones,’ and I replied, ‘Great,’ presuming they were animal remains.”
Sledger was taken aback to learn they could be human remains. He described feeling disbelief when the builder insisted he was serious. The bones were identified as Anglo-Saxon remains, approximately 1,000 years old, prompting a police investigation.
Ten officers investigated the site, uncovering bones from a second body. The findings included a femur, two skulls, ribs, part of a pelvis, and fragments of a humerus and finger bones. Sledger explained that for a while, the area was treated as a potential crime scene, which disrupted his sleep due to police presence and the disturbance of his dog.
About 48 hours after the first discovery, experts confirmed the remains were ancient, not related to any recent crime.
Despite this confirmation, Sledger found more remains while installing artificial grass. He feared further delays in his renovation but was relieved when the situation was resolved by the weekend.
After the police investigation, the remains went to a historical society before being passed to a local vicar. Sledger noted red tape caused delays in arranging a proper reburial. During the re-interment ceremony, the hymn “Jerusalem” was chosen as a tribute to the ancient remains.
Sledger’s discovery is one of many unexpected historical finds in the U.K. In a separate incident, a Hampshire couple discovered 70 historic English coins while adjusting a fence in their backyard in 2020. The coins later sold at auction for over £380,000, equivalent to about $500,000.
Leave a Reply