Medieval Knight Skeleton Found Underneath Scotland Parking Lot

They don't call it the Old World for nothing - archaeologists have found the grave of a medieval knight and the foundations of a royal monastery buried underneath a "car park" in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

The discovery was made along with "dozens" of other artifacts as researchers were excavating an old parking lot in Edinburgh's Old Town neighborhood, the oldest preserved section of downtown Edinburgh, according to Scotsman.com. The medieval knight's skeleton was unearthed beneath the corner of an ornate slab of sandstone that was marked with symbols denoting nobility, such as "the carvings of the Calvary Cross" and an ornamented sword. 

"This find has the potential to be one of the most significant and exciting archaeological discoveries in the city for many years, providing us with yet more clues as to what life was like in medieval Edinburgh," said Richard Lewis, culture convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, according Press Association. 

Three other "historically significant" buildings have stood in the area where the knight's skeleton was discovered: the Old High School (1700s), Royal High School (1500s) and the Blackfriars Monastery (1200s), built in 1230 by a former Scottish royal, King Alexander II, PA reported. The monastery had long been a lost relic of history, and the location was a mystery until the recent dig. The structure was reduced to ruins during the Protestant Reformation of 1558.

Archaeologists had been excavating the site after the parking lot was demolished to pave the way for the University of Edinburgh's Edinburgh Centre of Carbon Innovation (ECCI), a "green" building that will "work to create and support a low carbon economy through knowledge and skills." 

Several locals who attended schools in the area as youths were astounded by the discovery. Ross Murray, who works at Headland Archaeology, was a student at the University of Edinburgh's archaeology department, which once stood around the High School Yards dig site, just feet from where the skeleton was found.

"We obviously knew the history of the High School Yards site while we were studying here but I never imagined I would be back here to make such an incredible discovery. We used to take breaks between classes just a few feet away in the building's doorway and all that time the grave was lying under the car park," Murray said.

ECCI Director Andy Kerr said he had a hunch crews might come across something special when excavating the site.

"We always knew that the building retrofit might uncover historical artifacts, given the site's history, but this knight is an extraordinary and exciting find. We want our new building to play a key role in shaping Scotland's future, as these historical buildings on this site did in their time," said Kerr.

The medieval knight's bones and teeth will next be subjected to further analysis by archaeological experts to determine the person's place of birth, diet, where he spent his life and just how he died.