The Bayeux Tapestry is known around the world for depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066, in which King Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, was killed by an arrow fired by William, Duke of Normandy.
But the early scenes of the huge tapestry feature Harold Godwinson in Bosham, a coastal village in Chichester, West Sussex. The textile art depicts him in 1064 receiving a blessing in a church and feasting in an extravagant hall before setting sail for France.
It has long been suggested that a site in the village of Bosham, now a private home, was the royal residence of King Harold. However, it has never been proven. Until now.
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A team of archeologists from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter have reinterpreted previous excavations and conducted new surveys to locate a 'power centre' in Bosham that could only have belonged to someone of King Harold's standing.
By conducting a geophysical survey of the surrounding area, assessing standing remains, scrutinising maps and records and re-examining evidence from previous excavations, the archeologists confirmed the existence of two previously unidentified Medieval buildings.
A toilet that was housed in a large timber building has been hailed as a sign of a high-status house – one that could only have been owned by the most prominent in society. Archaeologists have only recently realised the trend for toilets in 10th century houses belonging to the elite.
It almost certainly represents part of Harold’s residence illustrated on the Bayeux Tapestry, they have said. The hall was one part of a more extensive complex, that also included a church, which still survives.
Professor Oliver Creighton of the University of Exeter, said: “The Norman Conquest saw a new ruling class supplant an English aristocracy that has left little in the way of physical remains, which makes the discovery at Bosham hugely significant – we have found an Anglo-Saxon show-home.”
Main image credit: Getty Images