‘Remarkably well-preserved’ human skeleton of 13th-century knight found under ice cream shop

Archaeologists in Poland found a medieval knight’s skeleton buried under a closed ice cream shop. They started working on it in 2023 in the city centre.

They first found a decorated tombstone showing a knight in armour. In July, they lifted it and found a full male skeleton from the 13th or 14th century. It belongs to an adult male. The tombstone, made from rare Gotland limestone, shows the knight wearing chainmail, CNN reported.

The knight is shown standing upright with a sword raised, which means he likely held high status. Such carvings were rare in that period as most tombs had only flat inscriptions or crosses.

This grave is special because both the artwork and burial site remain untouched. The man’s skeleton, found beneath the stone, was in excellent condition. He was taller than most men of that time, between 5’7” and 5’11”.

“The tombstone is remarkably well preserved, considering it was carved from soft limestone and lay underground for centuries,” CNN quoted archaeologist Sylwia Kurzynska.

“The knight is shown standing upright with an uplifted sword — a posture likely symbolising authority and elevated social status,” she added.

The church stood in an early stronghold used from the 11th to the 14th century. The area was important for faith, power and burials in Gdansk’s history, according to the publication.

The design is still clear even though partly damaged. The stone is nearly 5 feet long. This find is considered one of Poland’s most important in years. Experts consider the discovery of “exceptional significance”.

It is “one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Poland in recent years,” according to Kurzynska.