ARO1: Paying The Ferryman: An Archaeological Watching Brief At Lennel Church, Coldstream By Iraia Arabaolaza

ARO1: Paying The Ferryman: An Archaeological Watching Brief At Lennel Church, Coldstream By Iraia Arabaolaza Archaeology Reports Online, 52 Elderpark Workspace, 100 Elderpark Street, Glasgow, G51 3TR 0141 445 8800 info@guard-archaeology.co.uk www.archaeologyreportsonline.com

ARO1: Paying The Ferryman: An Archaeological Watching Brief At Lennel Church, Coldstream Published by GUARD Archaeology Ltd, www.archaeologyreportsonline.com Editor Beverley Ballin Smith Design and desktop publishing Gillian McSwan Produced by GUARD Archaeology Ltd 2013 ISBN: 978-0-9575435-0-8 ISSN: 2052-4064 Requests for permission to reproduce material from an ARO report should be sent to the Editor of ARO, as well as to the author, illustrator, photographer or other copyright holder. Copyright in any of the ARO Reports series rests with GUARD Archaeology Ltd and the individual authors. The maps are reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty s Stationery Office. All rights reserved. GUARD Archaeology Licence number 100050699. The consent does not extend to copying for general distribution, advertising or promotional purposes, the creation of new collective works or resale.

Summary An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by GUARD Archaeology in March and April 2011 during emergency stabilisation works to the bank of the River Tweed at Lennel Churchyard near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders. The watching brief encountered five articulated human skeletons, all buried in an extended supine position with the head towards the west, consistent with traditional medieval and postmedieval Christian burial practice. The watching brief also encountered numerous disarticulated bones and associated grave furniture. The most significant find was a well worn Scottish Copper Farthing, which was found on the forehead of a disarticulated skull. The coin was identified as a copper farthing of James III, issued c.1466-70, an example of the later fifteenth century Scottish copper Black Money and confirmation that Lennel Churchyard was used for burial in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. Staining on the skull suggested that the coin had been originally placed there during burial and may indicate that the tradition of paying for the afterlife passage of souls was practised in the Scottish Borders at this time. Background Lennel Old Parish Church graveyard is on the north bank of the River Tweed, to the south of Lennel, near Coldstream in the Scottish Borders NGR: NT 8574 4117 (Figure 1). Lennel Old Parish Church has its origins in the twelfth century but was ruinous by 1705 and was replaced by a church in Coldstream, which became the parish church in 1718 (NMRS: NT84SE 17.00; SBC HER 1070005; HB No: 4067). There was formerly a village called Lennel, which may have stood to the east of the medieval parish church although nothing but the ruins of the latter remains to mark the site of the village (NMRS: NT84SE 21; SBC HER 1070005). The mansio of Lennel is mentioned in charters at the end of the eleventh century. The ruins of the Old Parish Church are a B Listed building. Only the west wall containing rectilinear windows, remains to any great extent. The church has been encroached upon for burials by the surrounding graveyard and gravestones have been inserted in all the walls. Given these records, the Scottish Borders Council Archaeologist considered that there was potential for the emergency stabilisation works to the bank of the River Tweed at Lennel Old Parish Churchyard to encounter archaeological features and finds. GUARD Archaeology was therefore commissioned by Scottish Borders Council to undertake an archaeological watching brief during the emergency stabilisation works, in order to ensure that any surviving archaeological remains encountered during the works were recorded to an appropriate level. The Archaeological Watching Brief GUARD Archaeology undertook the watching brief between 4 March and 5 April 2011. Beneath the turf, the 0.3 m thick topsoil of mid-brown silty loam with frequent roots, was encountered across the site. It was found overlying light reddish brown silt with occasional pebbles, 0.6 m deep, within which was found disarticulated human bones as well as several broken grave slabs. Five articulated skeletons were identified beneath this mixed layer in the centre and west parts of the emergency stabilisation works area. Each skeleton was found in a supine position with the head towards the west (Figure 2). Only in association with two of the skeletons (Skeleton 3 & Skeleton 5) were identifiable grave cuts apparent; the grave of Skeleton 3 was 0.5 m wide by 0.4 m deep and approximately 1.8 m long while the grave of Skeleton 5 was 0.5 m wide by 0.3 m deep and at least 1.25 m long. Each grave fill comprised loose mid-brown sandy clay. Several coffin nails and shroud pins were recovered along with the articulated bones of each skeleton. During the watching brief, a background scatter of artefacts was identified, mainly comprising coffin nails and some occasional coffin handles and shroud pins. The most significant artefact found was a coin associated with a disarticulated skull encountered in the mixed layer (Plate 1). It was located in the area above Skeleton 2 (Figure 2). The coin was examined by Dr Donal Bateson, Reader in Numismatics at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, who reported that though the coin was in poor condition with little detail visible, it was identifiable as a copper farthing of James III, issued c.1466-70, an example of the later fifteenth century Scottish copper Black Money. Archaeology Reports Online, 2013. All rights reserved. 3

ARO1: Paying The Ferryman: An Archaeological Watching Brief At Lennel Church, Coldstream. 71 2 T ithe B arn C hurch T winlaw C airns 133 3 M and e rston D irring ton Little La w H alido n A6105 D un s D irring ton G rea t La w C as tle 16 5 P axton Lon g ridg e T ow ers 35 5 93 5 A6105 SEWAY DEVIL'SCAU C as tle 24 6 A697 A697 89 2 P urves H all 35 6 H um e 73 0 S w ee thop e A6089 80 6 269 Ky E tal P allin sbu rn C as tle lo e H il M ellerstain Site Location H ea ton 22 5 A6105 Aberdeen 28 9 S mailh olm T ower F loo rs ls Inverness A1 A6112 G re enknowe T ower 151 3 58 8 80 7 Ab bey 87 7 do n A699 A697 65 5 140 2 Glasgow Edinburgh 88 1 A68 DE RE ST RE 66 3 ET C oldsm ou th 92 6 Linton P en iel H eug h W hite La w C roo ked sha w s C as tle H ow na m La w 147 2 S tee r R ig T he C urr 176 1 N ew ton T ors F ow berry T ow er F redd e n P reston 198 5 T he S chil 54 7 DEVIL'S AY CAUSEW Lennel W ee tw oo d H all Y ea vering B ell 148 5 C old La w T ower Lan g lee C rag s 245 385900 me 385700 me 641200 mn 641000 mn Key Watching Brief Area 0 100 m Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. All rights reserved. Licence number 100050699. Figure 1: Site location. Archaeology Reports Online, 2013. All rights reserved. 4

Corrosion had, however, left so few details visible that it was not possible to ascribe it to a particular farthing issue. that it may have originally been placed there. This act may have been similar to the universal tradition of putting coins on the eyes of the deceased to keep the eyelids closed or as fare for the dead in the afterlife. The latter is probably the most likely explanation in this case, and derives from the ancient Greek pagan tradition of paying Kharon the ferryman who rowed the dead across the River Styx into the underworld (www.theoi. com/khthonios?kharon.html). Conclusions Plate 1: Disarticulated skull with coin in situ Discussion During the initial phase of works, the watching brief encountered several disarticulated human bones and grave slab fragments. Two of these grave stones had inscriptions RN on their top face. They were rectangular and seemed to derive from the same monument. Disarticulated human bones were mostly found in the western part of the watching brief area within the mixed layer, particularly concentrated within an area where a grave slab with 168.. inscribed on it was recorded. However, this area had also received modern intrusions, including a plastic bottle. In the second phase of work, five articulated skeletal remains were discovered beneath the inhumation layer, at a depth of c. 1 m. All of them were supine and extended with the head towards the west (Figure 2), consistent with traditional medieval and post-medieval Christian burial practice. All but Skeleton 1 were adult skeletons. Skeleton 1 was a sub-adult, probably a child. Skeletons 2 and 4 were indeterminate in sex but Skeletons 3 and 5 were possibly males based on some of the sexual dimorphic traits on the cranium and pelvis and the general robust appearance of the skeletons (Buistkra and Ubelaker 1994). There was no evidence of pathological conditions in any of the skeletons. The watching brief monitored the removal of the topsoil and subsequent mixed layers to the required depth of the emergency stabilisation works. The partial remains of five articulated human skeletons were recorded, along with disarticulated bones, including a skull which was associated with a late fifteenth century Scottish farthing. The arrangement of the articulated skeletons was consistent with medieval Christian practice. The location of the coin upon the forehead of a skull not only confirms that Lennel Churchyard was used for burial in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century but may demonstrate that the tradition of paying for the afterlife passage of souls was also practised in the Scottish Borders at this time. Location of Archive The finds have been reported to the Treasure Trove Unit, and the documentary archives will be lodged with the National Monuments Record for Scotland at the RCAHMS, Edinburgh. Acknowledgements GUARD Archaeology thanks Dr Christopher Bowles, Scottish Borders Council Archaeology Officer, and Donal Bateson, Reader in Numismatics at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, for their assistance and advice during the work. The illustrations were prepared by Fiona Jackson. Technical support was provided by Aileen Maule and John Kiely. The project was managed for GUARD Archaeology by Ronan Toolis. Of particular interest was the recovery of a coin, associated with a disarticulated skull. The coin had stained the forehead of the skull, suggesting Archaeology Reports Online, 2013. All rights reserved. 5

Bibliography Buikstra, J E and Ubelaker, D H (eds.) 1994 Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. Arkansas: Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series No.44. Kharon in Greek Mythology. www.theoi.com/ Khthonios/Kharon.html [Accessed 13-02-2013]. NMRS http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/ [Accessed 13-02-2013]. Archaeology Reports Online, 2013. All rights reserved. 7