Human remains about 1,000 years old found at Weymss Caves

A Buckhaven man's found two sets of 1,000 year old human remains on the coastline of the Weymss Caves.

Stuart Cook says he was looking for storm damage earlier this month (December) when he found bones poking out of the sand.

He works as the site warden for the Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society, founded in 1986 to protect and preserve the caves and their collection of Pictish drawings.

The original skull spotted was largely intact but what first appeared to be a fragment of leg bone sticking out the soil turned out to be a separate burial.

It was lying on top of the bedrock and is believed to have been covered by a layer of stones. The body was in a crouched position.

 Stuart Cook. Image: Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society.

He said: “I was checking the coast edge for any damage caused by the recent storms and came across what seemed to be a couple of bone fragments.

“On closer inspection, I could also make out what was obviously a human skull poking out of the sand.”

The remains have since been excavated by AOC Archaeology on behalf of Historic Environment Scotland, who got help from Fife Archaeology Unit and SWACS volunteers.

They will analysed by forensics next year.

Joanna Hambly, archaeologist with the SCAPE Trust, said: “At least five skeletons have previously been found along the coast, the most recent in 1988 and 1993. These were radiocarbon-dated to around the 11th century so it’s probable that the new finds are at least 1,000 years old and from a now-eroded early medieval cemetery.

“No grave goods (eg pottery or metalworking) have been found with any of the burials.

“Why there might have been a cemetery here is unclear, but early Christian crosses found in several Fife caves, including our own Jonathan’s Cave and the collapsed West Doo Cave, tells us that they were important places for early Christianity and may have been places of pilgrimage.”

Mike Arrowsmith, SWACS Chair, added: “Coastal erosion presents a real long-term threat to this unique site, but events like this can also help us learn more about its history.

“Modern scientific techniques can now give us a wealth of information on where these people might have come from and the lives they may have led. We’re all excitedly looking forward to the results of the analysis next year.”