Dundee University research helps piece together Stirling Castle's past
A joint project involving Dundee University researchers has discovered that at least five medieval skeletons found at Stirling Castle suffered violent deaths.
Prof Wilkinson with the knight's skull and a facial reconstruction.
- Published in the Courier : 27.05.11
- Published online : 27.05.11 @ 11.27am
The skeletons were buried beneath a 12th century chapel excavated during Historic Scotland's project to refurbish the castle's 16th century palace.
Historic Scotland has modelled 3D facial reconstructions of two of the people — one of them made at Dundee University. Visitors to the palace will be able to see them on the weekend of June 4-5. They will be displayed in a new exhibition of the castle's history.
One male had 44 skull fractures caused by a blunt object, and up to 60 more across the rest of his body.
Radio carbon dates indicate the people probably died in a series of incidents between the 13th century and circa 1450, with many expected to have been involved in the Wars of Independence,
Richard Strachan, Historic Scotland's senior archaeologist, said, "It was unusual for people to be buried under the floor of a royal chapel and we suspected that they must have been pretty important people who died during periods of emergency — perhaps during a siege.
"The fact that five of the skeletons suffered broken bones, consistent with beatings or battle trauma, suggests this could be what happened."
The research builds on the findings of investigations into two of the skeletons, the results of which were featured on BBC2's History Cold Case series in 2010.
The skeletons of a female, thought to be a high-born lady, and a male knight were sent to Bradford University. The model of the lady was made by the Bradford University team and the one of the knight was made at Dundee University.
Bradford used a traditional clay modelling approach, while the one from Dundee was created using the latest digital scanning and replication techniques and painted by a medical artist.
Professor Caroline Wilkinson, at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at Dundee University, said, "This 3D facial model depicts a strong muscular man with a healed wound across his forehead and rugged features.
"This reconstruction was produced using anatomical standards and the latest digital 3D technology, and allows us to come face to face with this medieval knight."
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