There's a chillingly authentic touch to the latest exhibit to be found in an attraction dedicated to the truly gruesome.

Martin Smith, of York Dungeon looking at the 14th Century skull

Even the staff at the York Dungeon are treating their latest acquisition with the very greatest of care.

For the skull now staring sightlessly over the £1m Plague! feature is the real thing - the last mortal remains of a 14th century victim of the Black Death.

And such is the caution with which the grisly relic is being treated that an airtight display case has been specially created to house it.

The skull is believed to be that of a young man who died during the plague epidemic of 1348 and was buried, along with other victims, in a pit near what is now St Paul's Cathedral in London.

It was excavated in the early 1950s and was donated to the Dungeon by a Buckinghamshire man, whose late wife was one of the archaeological team who uncovered it.

Dungeon manager Helen Douglas said yesterday: "We've been assured by health experts that the skull is perfectly safe.

"The protective case was really just an added precaution - and it will help protect the delicate skull from visitors."

Although the museum staff have been given vague details surrounding its discovery, they are now anxious to find out more.

"We plan to consult with the local archaeologists and would love to hear from other experts - historians to forensic scientists - who may be able to shed more light on it," said Helen.

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