It was in the news yesterday about a woman finding a lot of skeletons from a quaker burial ground under her house. How about Time team having a rummage - might help sort out what she can do with the bodies (apart from revurying them under her patio!)
A woman says workers building an addition on her cottage have discovered 10 skeletons beneath the floor -- and they expect to find more.
Catherine McGuigan said a group of five workers discovered the first of the bones while digging beneath her dining room three weeks ago, The Daily Mail reported Monday.
"The men said they had found what they thought was an old pipe but when they pulled it out of the ground they realized it was bone," she said. "Then they looked down and there in the earth was a skull and the rest of the skeleton."
McGuigan said more skeleton discoveries followed and the current total stands at 10. However, she said she has been told there may be as many as 40 skeletons buried under the home.
Police were initially called to investigate, but the bones were found to be more than 100 years old and research performed at the local library revealed a Quaker burial ground used to exist in the space now occupied by the cottage, McGuigan said.
The unclaimed bones have left McGuigan with another problem -- disposing of them. She said she has been told it could cost more than $60,000 to cremate the bones in a manner that would be satisfactory to Quakers.
I must admit I was very puzzled as to why this developement wasn't flagged up to the curating archaeologist at Hertfordshire County Council, as there really should have been something on the local SMR about it.
However mistakes do happen though, particularly as regards to the exact locations of some of these sites. And Quaker graveyards are, apparently often poorly documented.
Originally posted by Jenni: Does anybody actually know what her legal & financial obligations are regarding disposal of the bones?
Essentially, as the landowner, I think she is legally responsible for the proper disposal of the remains, in that she has to pass them onto an appropriate authority or at least ensure they are removed by such.
If she was paying for an archeological excavation, then the cost of the disposal would be included in the bill for that. There are also firms who specialise in cemetery clearance as well, so in this case it's likely she'll have to call in them.
The unclaimed bones have left McGuigan with another problem -- disposing of them. She said she has been told it could cost more than $60,000 to cremate the bones in a manner that would be satisfactory to Quakers.
I'd be inclined to give them to the Quakers, and tell them to dispose of them. Or why not just re-bury them in the garden, or donate them to her local museum ? It all sounds rather silly to me.
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The unclaimed bones have left McGuigan with another problem -- disposing of them. She said she has been told it could cost more than $60,000 to cremate the bones in a manner that would be satisfactory to Quakers.
I'd be inclined to give them to the Quakers, and tell them to dispose of them. Or why not just re-bury them in the garden, or donate them to her local museum ? It all sounds rather silly to me.
Hmm, Where's Roger Davies/Nemesis when you need him?
The local museum is very unlikely to want them as most of them don't have enough storage space for material they do want to keep, let alone stuff like human remains from a comparatively late cemetery which don't really have much value for anything much. And storage space on museum shelves costs money. And I doubt the Quakers of today have any legal responsiblity for them, although its possible they might take voluntary responsibility for them
Also, its part of any exhumation license granted (which will almost certainly have to be given now anyway) that any human remains be treated in a respectful and dignified manner. Usually that means they have to be re-interred in another cemetery.
It just seems to me that if the cost of "disposal" in a manner fitting to the Quakers is so high, perhaps the Quakers ought to pay? I can't see that respectful reburial or disposal under standard conditions would cost so much - after all, archaeologically exumed remains must be disposed of on a frequent basis and the costs to those responsible would be phenomenal if they had to pay $60k a time!
Originally posted by Jenni: It just seems to me that if the cost of "disposal" in a manner fitting to the Quakers is so high, perhaps the Quakers ought to pay? I can't see that respectful reburial or disposal under standard conditions would cost so much - after all, archaeologically exumed remains must be disposed of on a frequent basis and the costs to those responsible would be phenomenal if they had to pay $60k a time!
I'm not sure where the 60K came from either as it certainly seems a bit steep. But then as with so many tabloid newspaper stories, the details are probably rather blurred.
In fact I surprised, as its the Daily Mail, that they haven't shoehorned in a reference to immigrants and the effect this discovery will no doubt have on house prices
Originally posted by Chris D: Actually, its seems that she doesn't need a license to exhume them, as its not a registered burial ground, according to the Daily Mail article.
Which I have to say is a new one on me
Hi The Daily Mail is exhibiting its usual high standards when dealing with facts! The site would fall under the Disused Burial Ground Act and the removal of remains would require a Licence from the Ministry of Justice. However, I'll cut the DM a bit of slack as recently the MoJ have been confusing the issue by "reviewing" the legislation and interpreting the laws in a new and (to almost everybody else) incomprehensible way. Despite the Act clearly stating that a Disused Burial Ground is anywhere set aside for the internment of human remains, even if no actual burial took place, the MoJ decide it only applied to churchyards. I'm pleased to report they have now changed their minds (after much pressure from archaeologists) and gone back to sensible interpretation of the Law.
Originally posted by Chris D: Actually, its seems that she doesn't need a license to exhume them, as its not a registered burial ground, according to the Daily Mail article.
Which I have to say is a new one on me
Hi The Daily Mail is exhibiting its usual high standards when dealing with facts! The site would fall under the Disused Burial Ground Act and the removal of remains would require a Licence from the Ministry of Justice. However, I'll cut the DM a bit of slack as recently the MoJ have been confusing the issue by "reviewing" the legislation and interpreting the laws in a new and (to almost everybody else) incomprehensible way. Despite the Act clearly stating that a Disused Burial Ground is anywhere set aside for the internment of human remains, even if no actual burial took place, the MoJ decide it only applied to churchyards. I'm pleased to report they have now changed their minds (after much pressure from archaeologists) and gone back to sensible interpretation of the Law.
Well, it certainly threw me, a couple of my project managers and even a couple of DC officers I ran it past, all of whom stated that this was almost certainly innacurate. What is slightly scary is how many people in those positions are a bit behind in their knowledge of the latest legislation. Not always their fault of course, especially as some of them are rather over stretched.
I did think of adding some comments to the article,pointing out it's innacuracies. but then I remembered they have a habit of deleting anything that doesn't fit in with the general Daily Mail view of the world
Please forgive a newcomer asking this but: with the MoJ's revision of burial sites, is there a clear line between graves which can be opened, their contents explored, and those which can't?
Hi Suddick All graves (not in modern cemeteries) are covered by the Disused Burial Ground Act. It is illegal to disturb any human remains without a licence from the MoJ (unless carried out by a Church to move burials from one place in a churchyard to another for example). All archaeological excavations of prehistoric, Roman or medieval burials/cemeteries should be licensed.
In effect any disturbance has to either be sanctioned by MoJ or another method such as DAC if involving a Church.
