17th Century Scottish Soldiers Identified from Mass Graves [Battle of Dunbar]

Popular Archaeology ^ | Wednesday, September 2, 2015 | Durham University/Scottish Soldiers Project

[SunkenCiv]

In November 2013, during construction of a new café for the University's Palace Green Library, on the City's UNESCO World Heritage Site, human remains were uncovered by Durham University archaeologists who were present throughout the building work.

The jumbled skeletons of at least 17 and up to 28 individuals were subsequently excavated from two burial pits (a 29th individual was not exhumed). Since then the researchers have been carrying out a wide range of tests to establish their identities.

Experts initially considered that most of the evidence was consistent with the bodies being those of the Scottish soldiers but could not draw a firm conclusion from research conducted in 2014 because initial radiocarbon dating analysis indicated a slightly earlier date of death than the Dunbar battle.

However, further radiocarbon dating analysis of four additional samples, which were carefully selected to ensure a more precise result, in combination with the fact that some of the prisoners had smoked clay pipes -- known to be in common use in Scotland after 1620 -- has concluded that the date of death was between 1625 and 1660.

After combining the dates with the nature of the graves, the results of earlier scientific and observational tests that established the adult skeletons were all male, the fact that the skeletons were predominantly aged between 13-25 years old, and isotopic analysis showing the skeletons were of likely Scottish origin, the researchers concluded that the identification of the bodies as the Scottish soldiers from the Battle of Dunbar is the only plausible explanation.

[colorado tanker]

The New Model Army was perhaps the best army in Europe in its day. Cromwell used then radical reforms like employing the soldiers as professionals and appointing officers based on military merit and not social standing. The Army was quite cohesive as most of the soldiers shared Cromwell's religious view.

The surprising part about the English conquest of Scotland is, why did they want it? :’)

To give the English monarchs a nice cool summer palace?

[SunkenCiv]

Andy Parsons joked (on Mock the Week) that some large number they were trying to figure out context was the number of years before climate change turned Scotland into a viable holiday destination.

[LadyDoc]

isotope analysis can figure out where you lived by what you ate when the bones were formed. link

[Jessarah]

What??? We’re watching “Wolf Hall”(series about Thomas Cromwell) and are about 3 episodes in. He was so nice to the king (so far). Can’t believe he ends up being beheaded.

[SunkenCiv]

In the Showtime series “The Tudors” H8 berates his councillors for convincing him to execute Cromwell. When the real H8 died, one of his lifelong chums was one night’s sleep away from execution, it was lucky that the syphilis got the king first.

My favorite movie (and keeping in mind that Hollywood doesn’t make documentaries) about that court remains “A Man For All Seasons”, I viewed that a couple weeks ago for the first time in a while (generally I don’t watch it more than once a year) and had a strong emotional response.