Thirty skeletons in front of city centre art gallery point to lost medieval burial ground in Aberdeen

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Medieval burial ground found in front of Aberdeen Art Gallery by archaeologists assisting with cabling project

A long-lost medieval friary containing 30 skeletons beneath pipes and electricity cables has been located by archaeologists at a university site in Aberdeen city centre.

Experts knew the 13th century Dominican friary and church once stood in the Schoolhill area. But their chance finds, initially made at the start of July, came as a surprise during utility works in the Schoolhill area.

“They were buried east to west, which indicates that they were Christian burials, and there were quite a variety of ages,” says Alison Cameron, of Cameron Archaeology Ltd.

“We would have expected services – pipes and works – to have disturbed them, but actually the bones were in very good condition.

“We were working with [energy company] SSE and just watching, so we couldn’t quite believe it when they said they’d found them.

“Finding a skeleton 40 centimetres below the pavement in front of the Art Gallery was a surprise, but this find will allow us to discover much more about this area of the city during the medieval period.

“It is very exciting to find the first intact burials from the Blackfriars house. We knew that they had occupied this site but we did not know the exact location of the church and graveyard.”

A Blackfriar, or Dominican, house was founded between 1230 and 1249 by Alexander II, who is said to have bestowed his palace and garden on the friary, which was destroyed along with the church during the mid-16th century Protestant Reformation.

A south-facing building and a stone-built grave containing three skeletons.were revealed by excavations in 1833. Excavators believe the graveyard to the east of the church is probably occupied by deceased members of Aberdeen families would could afford the costs of these burials.

Men, women and children – including a possible newborn, buried in the upper fill of an adult grave – were found, as well as building materials and pottery. Radiocarbon dating will now take place.

“In the city centre there is always the possibility of something of interest being found when someone digs into the ground, which is why we advise on these types of works,” says Bruce Mann, Aberdeenshire Council's archaeologist.

“The bones are generally well preserved and will now be sent for further study to determine the age of the individuals at death, their stature and any diseases from which they suffered, as well as possible causes of death.”

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Three places to discover Scottish history in:

Burrell Collection, Glasgow
When Sir William Burrell and his wife, Constance, Lady Burrell, gifted his collection of more than 9,000 works of art to Glasgow, the city acquired one of the greatest collections created by one person. See it in this light and airy building, set within woodland.

Edinburgh Castle
This most famous of Scottish castles has a complex building history. The oldest part, St Margaret’s Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War.

Mount Stuart, Argyll
Arguably the finest piece of domestic architecture to come out of the gothic revival movement of the 19th century, the palace today fuses powerful architecture with intricate details and lavish designs.

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art532846-30-skeletons-front-city-centre-art-gallery-lost-medieval-burial-ground-in-aberdeen