Durham church skeletons are 300 years old
Nov 25 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal
BONES unearthed in Durham city centre earlier this year were probably about 300 years old, an archeological report into the finds has said.
Two complete skeletons and a host of other bones and items were found at St Nicholas Church, as engineers replaced gas pipes in April.
The discovery was described as important by North East archeologist Jonathan McKelvey, who carried out the investigation.
Other finds included five partial skulls, bones, part of clay pipe manufactured in Gateshead, a coffin handle, pieces of pottery and glass.
Now a report into the dig by Tyne and Wear Museums Archaeology service, released yesterday, has shed some light on the unearthed items.
Mr McKelvey said it looked as if the site where they were found had once been an official burial site inside St Nicholas Church and was probably from the 18th Century.
He said: “The two skeletons were of a man above the age of 22 and a toddler. The fact they were buried inside the church suggests they would have come from quite a wealthy family.
“There were some signs of dental decay due to diet and poor hygiene but nothing to say why they died. Radio-carbon dating indicates that the skeletons were a few hundred years old, but did not date back as far as the medieval period when the original church was built.
“The other bones were probably disturbed when the original gas pipe was laid about 40 years ago and range in age from babies to people over 60, probably from the same era.
“It is very unusual to find something like this in the centre of Durham so this was a good opportunity to discover more about medieval life in the city.”
Durham’s St Nicholas Church dates back 700 years, but the eastern end, which would originally have housed the graves, was demolished in 1841 to improve access to the Market Place.
The original medieval building was eventually demolished altogether and replaced with the current church in 1858.
Barry Watson, operations manager for United Utilities, which oversaw the work, said engineers on the job were aware that they might uncover something interesting. “The last time we worked in Durham Market Place we uncovered a body which dated back even further than these. It makes our work harder but it gives a fascinating insight into the history of our region,” he said.
Mr McKelvey said the bodies would now be reburied in consecrated ground in consultation with officials at St Nicholas Church.
The find brought gas mains replacement work to a standstill as archaeologists conducted a full-scale study in the trench outside St Nicholas Church.
The £2 toll to drive through Durham’s Market Place was also suspended as the finds were investigated.
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