Human remains of a 16th-century pirate found under a school playground

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January 11, 2016 12:35 PM

Human remains found by workmen under a school playground could be those of a 16th-century pirate.

Human remains found under a school playground belongs to 16th-century pirate

Human remains found by workmen under a school playground could be those of a 16th-century pirate, according to archaeologists.

The skeleton, uncovered at Victoria Primary School in Newhaven, Edinburgh, has been carbon dated to the 16th or 17th centuries.

A facial reconstruction of the man, believed to have been in his fifties, has been created from the skull with the help of a forensic artist.

It is thought the man could have been executed for piracy or other crimes before being buried in a shallow, unmarked grave.

The condition of the bones and location of the burial close to the water and gibbet, rather than in nearby graveyards, suggests he was killed before being displayed to act as a deterrent to other pirates, said archaeologists.

Sky News reported that Richard Lewis, councillor and culture convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "Edinburgh has an undeniably intriguing past and some of our archaeological discoveries have been in the strangest of places.

"Thanks to carbon dating techniques, archaeologists now know that the skeleton was likely to have been a murder victim - and quite possibly a pirate."

Head teacher Laura Thompson said: "The pupils think it's fantastic that a skeleton was found deep underneath their playground.

"The archaeologists will hold a special lesson with some of the children about how they have used science to analyse the remains and it will be a good learning opportunity for them."

The school, which is the city's oldest primary, is near Newhaven harbour where a gibbet once stood 600 years ago.

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