Mystery of remains found in remote church (Updated)

 

Lab tests will confirm whether the remains found in a church in the Paphos district on Tuesday are human and how old they are, police said on Wednesday.

The skeletal remains – that were wrapped in cloth – were located on Tuesday night by a man inside the church of Ayios Nikolaos in the remote Koronia area in Kathikas, Paphos police said.

The man, who had gone to the area to pick mushrooms, alerted authorities who picked up the remains and sent them for lab tests.

Police believe the remains are human and that they had been buried elsewhere as mud was found on the cloth in which they were wrapped in.

According to state broadcaster CyBC, it is believed that they were placed in the church by tomb robbers, as fragments of vessels were also located with the skeletal remains.

The findings are estimated to date back to the 14th century AD.  It is not known when the remains were placed in the church as it is in a remote area and rarely used. The antiquities department was also notified, CyBC said, and officials went to the site to investigate.

Police said it is too soon to estimate when the anthropological tests will be ready.

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