Alison Beach
29 Oct 2024
Dalheim Women's Cloister and Female Human Remains Uncovered
New excavations at the monastery of Dalheim -- the site where the female skeleton with lapis lazuli pigment in her dental calculus was discovered several years ago -- have revealed new information about the structure and extent of the women's monastic precinct. A recent study using ground-penetrating radar suggested the countours of a cloister south of the previously excavated monastic church, and the summer excavation season has revealed the remains of a south and east cloister range. The bulk of this work has been carried out by Peter Hessel under the oversight of Wolfram Wintzer-Essling of LWL.
Excavations also uncovered a skeleton south of the church. TeamNun members team from St Andrews, Alison Beach and Sally Mubarak, completed the excavation of this skeleton, which is estimated to be female, and have transferred it to the University of Bonn Centre for Archaeological Science for study and analysis. Osteological study, dental calculus analysis, and Stable Isotope analyis my reveal some of the details of this individual's life and work.
Hopes are high for a second season of excavation in 2025, potentially focusing on the remains of the eastern range of the cloister -- often the site of a monastery's chapter house.