A new hotel was being built between Abbey Street and Mary's Lane when the burial place was discovered. It is thought that at least two of the skeletons remains are from the first half of the eleventh century.

In order to construct its Bullitt hotel project, Northern Ireland hotel operator Beannchor secured the site two years ago. The group ordered the excavations and has done so before with other construction projects in Belfast.

It was anticipated that burial sites would be discovered because to the area's historic location close to St. Mary's Abbey. The Abbey, which was previously believed to be the first post-Viking settlement in this area of the city, was not the first Christian church to be located here, according to the ruins.

Edmond O’Donovan, director of excavations for Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy told the Irish Times: “Most of the skeletons are medieval, dating between 1200 and 1540, but there are definitely two that are 1,000 years old, one of them is dated by their association with a kite-shaped stick pin, very datable to the 11th century, and probably a shroud pin. Those two burials are significant because they predate the foundation of the abbey.

Now that the bones have been taken from the area, they will undergo additional inspection before being delivered to the National Museum.

The buildings discovered during the excavation will be included in the Bullitt Hotel's design, which is anticipated to be completed by 2025.