Steyning man was discovered in 1999 just 2-3 metres from the parish boundary whilst underpinning work was being undertaken on a house in Coombe Drive. The excavation was done, in an act of friendship to the Museum, by John Mills (the Deputy County Archaeologist) and Sally White (Curator, at the time, of Worthing Museum) with a little bit of help from Chris Tod from Steyning Museum. Carbon dating shows he died sometime between the years 900 and 1150 AD. There are very few clues as to who he was and how he died but the fact of his burial in a non-Christian alignment, so close to the “Heathen Burials” was an important symbol for others in his community. Whether or not he was a believer, this man had demonstrably lost the opportunity to go to heaven.

Adopted