Exposed remains recovered after seas batter coast

Archaeologists have carried out a rescue dig after shoreline storm damage in Deerness revealed human remains.

Heavy seas took away the top layer of a grassy bank leaving the badly damaged remains – thought to be several hundreds of years old – exposed to the elements.

With funding for a rapid response excavation from Historic Scotland, experts from the Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA) carried out the task of uncovering and removing the skull and other bones from the site in Deerness.

Orkney’s county archaeologist Julie Gibson said: “Urgent work was needed before further damage occurred – there was a strong possibility that this important find could have been swept away.

“Because they were buried in sand, the bones are in good condition. They were treated with great respect as the painstaking task to remove them to safe keeping was carried out.

“A partial skeleton emerged. An initial assessment would suggest that these are the remains of an elderly man. We’ll find out the age of the bones once radio carbon dating has taken place.”