Today's Object of the Week is a cemetery, which may have been lost for centuries.
A council car park on Holy Island may have formed part of a 'lost' medieval cemetery, according to archaeologists.
The site, on Holy Island, is being investigated by experts from DigVentures and Durham University, aided by over a dozen volunteers from the Northumberland Coast National Landscape’s Conservation Team and the Holy Island community.
The investigation is part of the ninth annual archaeological programme on Holy Island.
The new trench is located where early medieval burials were found in 2022 during the construction of a new Coastguard building.
Samples from these burials were radiocarbon dated to between the 8th and 10th centuries, suggesting they are contemporary with the Anglo-Saxon monastery which is the focus of the research excavation.
The site is now occupied by Northumberland County Council’s Green Lane overflow car park but may once have formed part of a 'lost' cemetery mentioned in a medieval record.
Nick Best, Northumberland County Council’s archaeologist, said: "The initial discovery of this site in 2022 highlights the importance of undertaking archaeological work as part of the development process, especially in sensitive areas such as Holy Island.
"It’s exciting to have the opportunity to revisit this important site so soon after its initial discovery and to investigate a larger area as part of DigVentures’ established project."
The volunteers are learning new skills, excavating and recording archaeological layers on site and cleaning and conserving finds in a pop-up 'finds room', based in the Crossman Village Hall.
Volunteer Tracy Ward said: "It has been a fascinating experience that I will remember always."
Dr David Petts, associate professor of archaeology at Durham University and co-director of the dig, added: "This is a wonderful opportunity to extend our research to new parts of the village, and we are excited about the opportunity to work with the County Council and the National Landscape to better understand this fascinating historic landscape."
The investigations in Green Lane are funded by Northumberland Coast National Landscape and DigVentures.
The discoveries from the trench in Green Lane, including the human remains, will be studied in the coming months as part of the wider research project.
Dr Brendon Wilkins, founder and CEO of DigVentures and co-director, said: "Once the analysis is complete, we’ll report back the results.
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"We feel confident that understanding more about who the people interred at Green Lane were, and why they were buried there rather than in the cemeteries in Sanctuary Close, will add an important new dimension to our research on Holy Island."
Glen Sanderson, leader of Northumberland County Council, added: "It's a fascinating reminder of the rich history of the county that survives beneath our feet and actually came to light as part of the archaeological works in the planning process.
"There has been real collaboration between partners to carry out this work and it's also given some of the Holy Island residents the chance to become involved with this new glimpse into Lindisfarne's past."
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