Decade of digging uncovers Holy Island’s burial secrets

TONY HENDERSON on the secrets being yielded in the burials found on Lindisfarne

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One of the burials at Lindisfarne, and below, volunteers celebrating the end of the dig

AROUND 100 burials have been uncovered in a decade of digs on Lindisfarne.

This year saw the last of 10 years of excavation seasons on the Northumberland island and now bone analysis will begin at Durham University to discover details of the early medieval population and their lives.

In addition to the 100 burials, the combined university and DigVentures project has resulted in 20,000 fragments of disarticulated remains spanning the 7th to 11th centuries.

“Our excavations have revealed that the Lindisfarne cemetery was huge, stretching from the priory ruins down to the edge of the early harbour,’ said a DigVentures spokesperson.

“Based on the extent of the cemetery, and where we now think the boundaries were, we estimate that the cemetery may hold around 3,000 individuals”

While most burials have been left in place, an elected sample have been lifted for conservation and further analysis. All remains will be reinterred respectfully on Lindisfarne when the analysis is complete, which aims to discover details of: