Learning lessons from our past

A few years ago I worked with the Bamburgh Bones project, which was hosted by Northumberland Coast National Landscape, working with Bamburgh Heritage Trust and St Aidan’s Church, and funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. This fascinating project was all about interpreting some very special archaeology which had been discovered at Bamburgh.

The Bamburgh Bones are skeletons of people who lived in Bamburgh at a time when the Kingdom of Northumbria was the cosmopolitan capital of England. Some of them were born in Bamburgh but mostly they travelled from other areas of the UK, Europe and Northern Africa. In the early 2000s, researchers and archaeologists excavated around 100 skeletons from the dunes at Bamburgh. Twenty of these were analysed to learn more about their lives and lifestyles. It is incredible how much we know about these people, just from their bones.

After a long period of research, the skeletons were eventually laid to rest again within the crypt at St Aidan’s. The Bamburgh Bones project provides access to the crypt and tells the story of a community who lived in Bamburgh hundreds of years ago. Visitors can enter a spiritual space within the church and learn more about the people and the archaeology of Bamburgh. A new Digital Ossuary was created where you can find out more about the skeletons and what we have been able to learn about their lives, lifestyles and burials.

Today I am reflecting on the diversity of this community. Many came from western Scotland or Ireland, some from Yorkshire and some from other areas of the UK. Some came from Scandinavia. Some came from Mediterranean Europe or Northern Africa. These people lived in Bamburgh around 1200+ years ago, drawn by the promise of something new and a better life.

These are our ancestors. Some were local, some were immigrants. Many had travelled to start a new life here. They created a cosmopolitan and diverse community. It feels that sometimes we need reminding that immigration is not a new thing.