Canterbury Cathedral is probably the most famous church buildings throughout the world, partly because of its famous archbishops including St. Augustine, Thomas Cranmer, and Thomas Becket, the last of which was assassinated in 1170 AD. The site was a Roman church as it was given to St. Augustine by the local King Ethelbert around 600 AD, Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory to save Angles. The original building was burned or otherwise destroyed by various parties over the centuries, but much of the permanent structure dates from the 12th and 13th century. Archaeological excavations conducted by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust have revealed parts of the original Anglo-Saxon structure.