Archaeologists have identified the remains of medieval bishops buried at Whithorn Priory in Galloway, Scotland, 600 years ago.

The bones of the six bishops were discovered over 40 years ago, but have only just been identified using the latest techniques for scientific analysis of remains.

Thought to have died between 1200 and 1360AD, the bishops were found during excavations at the priory between 1957 and 1967, but their identity has remained a mystery until now. Other items, such as fragments from vestments, silver altar vessels and a gold pontifical ring were also unearthed.

Archaeologists from Edinburgh-based Headland Archaeology have employed state of the art analysis to determine who the bishops were and how they died, with the examinations even revealing that they came from southern Scotland or Cumbria and what they ate.

The six remains were known to come from senior ecclesiastical figures, but radiocarbon dating has identified them has bishops John (died 1209), Walter (died 1235), Gilbert (died 1253), Henry (died 1293), Michael (died 1359) and Thomas (died 1362).

Funded by Historic Scotland, the research shows that the bishops lived on a diet of good meat and marine fish such as cod. Experts claim that the studies will create an interesting picture of the lives of clergy in Scotland during the Middle Ages.