Over the next few months I will be posting information about previous trenches and sites that the BRP have explored since the projects inception in 1996. I begin this exploration with the Bowl Hole Cemetery, which does contain some images of human remains.
In the beginning……
One of the initial aims of the Bamburgh Research Project was to re-discover an ancient burial ground that had once been exposed during storms and which was believed to dwell in the sand dunes around Bamburgh Castle. Thankfully the location was noted on the 1890 ordnance survey map marked as the ‘Old Danish Burying Ground’.
- Ordnance Survey Map 1890. Edina Digimap (2010)
The BRP took this information and began test-pitting to the south of the castle.
- Test-pitting at the Bowl Hole
- Extended test-pit with exposed human remains and grave cuts
These initial trenches exposed human remains and so began an extensive excavation of the burial ground.
- Opening up the Bowl Hole for open area excavation
In the next post I will discuss what we found over nine years of excavation, including on-going research by the University of Durham.
