13th Century Graveyard Discovered In Scotland

MessageToEagle.com – During renovations of the Aberdeen Art Gallery, archaeologists have discovered a graveyard connected with the thirteenth-century Dominican friary of the Black Friars, being within the mediaeval heart of the city.

Nearly 100 medieval skeletons have been found by a team from AOC Archaeology

“Under the back premises, around 40 disarticulated skeletons were found, in three wooden coffins and placed in a brick-built chamber (known as a charnel house). Significant quantities of coffin wood, fixtures, fittings and furniture, and textile were also found,” Christine Rew, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums manager, said in a press release.

“The find suggests that during a previous development of the Gallery (possibly 19^thcentury), these bodies were lifted and moved from where the building work was taking place, boxed and put into the brick chamber.

“Within the gallery itself, 52 skeletons were found, as well as coins, coffin fixtures and fittings, coffin wood, textiles, ceramics, stone artefacts, bricks, tiles and quantities of animal bone and shell.

Archaeologists say that all the skeletons and other finds have been taken off-site to the archaeology company’s store. They are being cleaned and sorted first, and then appropriate tests, including DNA, will be undertaken to determine the approximate date of the finds.

A post-research report on the excavations will also be written.

“It is known that the friary included a graveyard, and that that a bone had been found just beyond the Art Gallery, when pre-development site investigations took place in 2012 and 2013. Earlier construction work in the 19^thand 20^thcenturies in the area also found burials, Christine Rew said.

Martin Cook, AOC project manager, said: “We are hugely excited to be working on such an exciting project which will provide so much information on Medieval Aberdeen.

“Articulated skeletal remains of more than 50 individuals have also been recovered from formal graves. There is clear intercutting of graves, though each individual grave appears to contain a single inhumation, “Martin Cook, AOC project manager, said.

“Further disarticulated remains including fragments of skull have been recovered from the deposits associated with the formal burials.

“In addition to the skeletal remains a large artefact assemblage has been recovered associated with both the charnel and the formal burials.”

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source: Aberdeen City Council