He believes that this would be possible, as the powdered body would eventually turn to soil.

BBC: Jersey minister proposes freeze drying dead bodies

"People were amazed to see an area that was salty, sandy ground, turn into a lush green forest, that had mushrooms growing from the soil, " Lawton said.

CNN: Making barren lands bountiful

The archaeologists may turn up other unexpected finds as they dig back through soil packed down over centuries.

CNN: London rail excavation unearths suspected 'plague pit'