Bones of up to 30 people and parts of coffins were unearthed by builders working on a new hotel in Marsh Lane, Preston, last year.

Archaeologists who carried out a dig on the site are submitting an application to English Heritage this month to secure funding for more analysis.

It was thought the remains, which included 12 virtually complete skeletons, could belong to an order of monks from a friary, believed to have been on site from 1260 to 1539.

But experts say more specialist tests will be needed to establish how old the skeletons are - and analysing markings on the wooden coffins could help unlock the secret.

Stephen Rowland, a project manager at Oxford Archaeology North, which carried out the dig, said: "We could use radio carbon dating (on the bones) or dendrochronology with the tree rings on the coffins."

The bones are being kept at laboratories in Lancaster along with other artefacts dug up at the site, including fragments of floor tiles.

Doug Moir, planning officer at Lancashire Archaeology Service, said the tiles suggested a "high status" building could have been on the site, which is behind Brunel Court student halls.

He said: "We didn't think the chances of anything being well-preserved were good because of some other works relating to the ring road near the site.

"We thought there would not be anything left but it just goes to show; the remains were quite a way down and just about survived."

Once the bones have been identified, a decision will be made on where they will be reburied.

Construction firm BPS Developments was forced to put building work on hold when the remains were uncovered last year.

The £4.5m Preston International hotel is now due to open next month.

BPS's David Mahoney said: "None of us working at the site had ever found anything like this before and it was actually pretty exciting to be part of."