Bayeux Tapestry mystery: Lost site depicted in medieval embroidery revealed after 900 years
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Archaeologists have pinpointed the exact location of King Harold's palace in Bosham, West Sussex - thanks to the discovery of an elite "en-suite" toilet.
The breakthrough identifies the site where the last Anglo-Saxon king resided before his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The location, now occupied by a private house, was confirmed through evidence including the high-status latrine discovered in 2006, along with remains of a private port, water mill and deer park.
The site matches scenes depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which shows Harold's residence in Bosham.
Archaeologists have pinpointed the exact location of King Harold's palace in Bosham, West Sussex
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Bosham holds particular significance in the Bayeux Tapestry, being one of only three locations - alongside Westminster and Hastings - to be shown twice in the historic embroidery.
The tapestry, which stretches longer than an Olympic swimming pool at 68.3 metres, features Bosham prominently at its beginning.
The scenes show a rambunctious feast with revellers holding drinking horns surrounding King Harold, followed by his departure down steps to the river for his fateful journey to Normandy.
The village is one of just four places specifically named within the tapestry's narrative of the Norman Conquest.
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The tapestry, which stretches longer than an Olympic swimming pool at 68.3 metres, features Bosham prominently at its beginning
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Dr Duncan Wright, senior lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Newcastle University, who led the study, said: "A latrine was the killer clue to find what was, essentially, the palace of King Harold."
"That was surprising, but an en suite bathroom would have been found only among the highest elites," he explained.
The toilet discovery, combined with evidence of a private port, water mill, deer park and church on the estate, strongly indicated royal ownership.
Wright noted the latrine would have been located upstairs from the banqueting hall within a private chamber, with wood-lined pits that can still be identified centuries later.
The owners of the house, who remain anonymous, commissioned West Sussex Archaeology to investigate the site in 2006.
The excavation revealed the significant latrine discovery alongside several aristocratic artefacts.
The location, now occupied by a private house, was confirmed through evidence including the high-status latrine discovered in 2006
Newcastle University
These included Anglo-Norman pottery, an 11th-century silver brooch and copper alloy from a stirrup, suggesting the presence of nobles with decorated horses.
The archaeological evidence also uncovered remains of two timber buildings on the estate - one likely being the banqueting hall with its upstairs chamber and latrine, while the other may have served as a storehouse, kitchen, stable or granary.
Professor Oliver Creighton from the University of Exeter highlighted the exceptional nature of the discovery.
"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," he said.
The site includes a church that still stands today, featuring a sundial that demonstrated the power of Anglo-Saxon royalty.
Such was their authority that common people needed to consult these sundials to know when to pray.
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