A HIGHLY-respected archaeologist behind a key 1960s dig at Winchester Cathedral has died, age 68.

Birthe Kjølbye-Biddle - wife of Martin Biddle - uncovered remains of the Old Minister, the Anglo-Saxon cathedral demolished by the Normans.

Her team also found evidence of the church of Cenwalh of Wessex and St Alphege, the original burial place of St Swithun in 862.

Her methods were known for being meticulous and sophisticated and many believe they helped change perceptions about what could be achieved from cemetery excavations.

Ken Qualmann, a former city council archaeologist, said he first met Dr Kjølbye-Biddle in the early 1970s.

He said: "She could be quite fierce and did not suffer fools gladly, but once you gained her confidence she was extremely loyal and supportive. She inspired through enthusiasm and dedication.

"There was an element that thought of digs as a gentleman's pastime but she and her husband converted it into a professional career where you worked hard and did things to professional standards.

Dr Kjølbye-Biddle, together with her husband, was jointly awarded the Frend Medal of the Society of Antiquaries in 1986 for their work on the early history of the English Church.

The 68-year-old, who is survived by her husband and two daughters, was born in Sonderborg, Denmark, in 1941, when the country was under Nazi occupation.

She entered the Department of Archaeology at Aarhus University in 1960. It was her need for British excavation experience that took her to Martin Biddle's investigations in Winchester.