Skeletons are reburied in holy ground

Rosslyn’s human remains

Human remains discovered during maintenance work at an historic church have now been reburied in its grounds.

The remains of three skeletons were found inside Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, whichfeatured in Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, when work to the heating system required floor slabs to be lifted.

Radiocarbon dating of two of the skeletons indicates they could have been buried in the mid-15th century, possibly around the time the chapel was being built. It is thought two skeletons were male and that at least one of them had undertaken heavy or repeated physical activity, with well-developed bone surfaces at the sites of muscle insertions.

Bone which had previously been disturbed were also found in the chapel precinct, with these dated to between the 15th and 17th centuries. Again, these are thought to be the remains of an adult male.

The AOC Archaeology Group in Midlothian carried out the excavation and analysis of the bones for the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, with the bones then prepared for reburial in line with guidance fromHistoric Environment Scotland.

Lindsay Dunbar, fieldwork project manager, AOC Archaeology Group, said: “Opportunities to work at such a world-famous and iconic monument as Rosslyn Chapel come along rarely.

“While it is unlikely that the burials represent the clergy, it is clear that to occupy such a space within such a small chapel means that these burials are of people important to the chapel.”

ROSSLYN: Made famous by Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code