Excavation

Date November 2000

Event ID 999743

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/999743

During the excavation of a trial pit within the monument in advance of underpinning works, building contractors discovered human remains. The ensuing excavation revealed a series of six inhumations, dating to the second half of the18th century.

Two male and two female adults were present within the material recovered, along with two juveniles aged between 4 to 5 years, and 1 to 2.5 years respectively. Only two of these individuals appeared to have received a formal burial, as the graves did not share the common orientation expected of Christian burials of the period.

No information relating to the identity of the deceased survived.

Local tradition, however, claims that James Macrae himself was exhumed from Monkton churchyard 'by a group of six or seven friend and reburied the remains within the monument' (J. Steven (Monkton Historic Society), pers comm)

Information from GUARD 2000 (MS 725/292; GUARD 960)