Archaeologists working alongside builders on a new London rail link have turned up a grisly find that harks back seven centuries , to a time when Black Death stalked the medieval city . A shaft sunk for the underpinnings of the new Crossrail link in Farringdon revealed 13 skeletons , lined up neatly in two rows , the company said Friday . Suspicions are that the dig has revealed a `` plague pit '' -- one of many mass graves used to dispose of the bodies of those who succumbed to the Black Death , or bubonic plague , in the 14th century . Since then , the bones have lain undisturbed just 2.5 meters ( 8 feet ) below the surface in one of the few areas of the central London neighborhood not to have been developed over the years . Historical records talk of a `` no man 's land '' established in 1348 in the Farringdon area , where some 50,000 plague victims were buried , according to a contemporary historian . Up to now the area has never been found . The shaft sunk as part of Crossrail 's construction is located on the edge of Charterhouse Square in Farringdon , formerly the site of a monastery . Crossrail 's lead archaeologist , Jay Carver , quoted in a company media release , said it was `` a highly significant discovery , '' and one that left many questions still to answer . `` We will be undertaking scientific tests on the skeletons over the coming months to establish their cause of death , whether they were plague victims from the 14th century or later London residents , how old they were and perhaps evidence of who they were , '' he said . Body found under parking lot is King Richard III , scientists confirm . `` However , at this early stage , the depth of burials , the pottery found with the skeletons and the way the skeletons have been set out , all point towards this being part of the 14th century emergency burial ground . '' The pottery found with the skeletons dates to before 1350 , the archaeologists said . The skeletons are being excavated and taken to the Museum of London Archeology for further testing . Scientists hope to extract a DNA profile that could be used to study the development of plague since then . However , there is no risk to people 's health now because the plague bacteria can not survive long in the soil , Crossrail says . Eventually , the shaft will be sunk 20 meters deep to support the Crossrail tunneling works . The archaeologists may turn up other unexpected finds as they dig back through soil packed down over centuries . The Yersinia pestis bacterium that is behind the plague is found mainly in rodents , particularly rats , and in the fleas that feed on them , the U.S. National Institutes of Health website says . Each year , roughly 10 to 20 people in the United States develop plague from flea or rodent bites , mostly from infected prairie dogs in rural southwestern areas , the NIH says . About one in seven of those infected dies . No person-to-person transmission has been recorded in the past 90 years . In the 1300s , the Black Death killed an estimated 20 million to 30 million people in Europe , the NIH says . Another 12 million fell victim to the scourge in China in the mid-19th century , and smaller outbreaks have occurred elsewhere . Once completed , the Crossrail route will run 73 miles from east to west across London , improving access to Heathrow Airport , central London and towns to the east . Central London services could start as soon as 2018 . Opinion : After Richard III , can we find Genghis Khan ? According to the company , it is currently running the country 's largest archaeology program . Other finds turned up in the course of excavations for the rail route include bones from prehistoric animals , Bronze Age and Roman tools , and the largest piece of amber ever uncovered in Britain . Archaeologists also found a former cemetery in excavations near Liverpool Street , where 300 skeletons were found . Those are thought to have been buried between 1500 and 1700 . More space and science news on CNN 's Light Years blog .
Archaeologists working for London 's Crossrail project find 13 skeletons in 2 neat rows . They are thought to have been buried in the mid-14th century amid a plague outbreak . The area excavated in central London has lain undisturbed for centuries . Score: 6