Addinston Stone Chests
The first stone boxes from Addinston , a farm near Carfraemill in Berwickshire , Scotland , were discovered as early as 1870 during deep plowing when flagstones came to the surface. In 1967 part of the area in the area of a slight rise, near which the plates had been found, was excavated again. Two long stone boxes with skeletal material were found. The skeletons lie with their heads on the west and feet on the east.
The excavation
Stone box A
The stone box A was badly built and very damaged. The top panels were missing and side panels were displaced or broken. The box had two end stones and four different sized side plates, only 3.5–7.0 cm thick. It was about 1.6 m long inside and about 38 cm wide at the top, with an inner depth of just 0.3 m. The floor was covered with eight stone slabs. The box itself was built in a larger pit, which was filled with packing stones that held the side panels of the stone box upright. Little was left of the skeletal material. The skull, part of the jaw and some teeth were recovered. Pieces of rib, arm, leg and pelvic bones and two small pieces of charred wood were also found. The skeleton appears to belong to a female in her early twenties with no signs of disease or malformation. The bad condition in the box is attributed to the fact that it was open for a long time.
Stone box B
Stone box B was well preserved and appeared to be undisturbed. Part of a capstone was still in situ . The box was filled with sand and gravel. The construction corresponds to that of the stone box A with the difference that the plates were stronger and only three somewhat more massive side plates and four base plates were used. The inside of the box was about 1.65 m long and about 38 cm wide at the top, with an inner depth of just 0.3 m. This box, too, was erected in a pit that was only slightly larger and filled with packing stones that held the side plates upright. The skeleton, lying on its back, was in good general condition, the skull had fallen to one side. The left side of the box had collapsed and the earth-filled skull showed signs of weathering. The skeleton appears to belong to a female between the ages of 25 and 30, with no signs of disease. There was a piece of charred wood near the right shoulder, probably alder .
The older investigations
The 1871 report states that in addition to the stone boxes damaged by the plow, around 20 boxes were opened. They were filled with earth and gravel and showed signs of cremation. In some cases there was a layer of charcoal under the body. Some boxes were short, containing bodies in a huddled position. Some cases indicated corpses were cremated and piles of stones lay in the crates over the corpse burn. With the exception of charcoal remains, there were no traces of burning in the newly excavated boxes.
See also
Web links
- Report by JC Wallace (PDF; 234 kB)
- Entry on Addinston Stone Chests in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database
Coordinates: 55 ° 45 ′ 43.6 " N , 2 ° 46 ′ 2.2" W.