Excavation

Date 12 September 2011 - 8 March 2012

Event ID 968668

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/968668

In May 2011 Addyman Archaeology were contacted to undertake recording and recovery of a significant quantity of human remains encountered during work in the Steeple Church in Dundee. Under the guidance of Simpson and Brown Architects the Church is being renovated and a new wall is to be constructed along a N-S axis at the E end of the sanctuary. In advance of this development, two engineering test pits were excavated - it was in the second of these that two articulated skeletons were encountered. In addition to the remains recovered from in and around the test pit, work undertaken previously in the area of the boiler room had revealed a large quantity of human bones. These were collected and the area of the boiler room assessed. The discovery and assessment of these remains led to the appointment of Addyman Archaeology to oversee the archaeological mitigation of the development and undertake all ground breaking works during the project. Two areas were identified for excavation. The first in the area currently occupied by offices to the E of the Sanctuary was excavated prior to the insertion of a lift shaft and whilst archaeological features and human bone were encountered, no inhumations were disturbed during this work. However, excavation of a large, N-S aligned foundation trench across the E end of the sanctuary uncovered 15 in situ skeletons, all of which were recorded and reburied as close to their point of origin as possible.

Information from Oasis (addymana1-122656) 9 January 2014