Gristhorpe Man

On Thursday July 10th 1834 an exciting discovery was made on land owned by William Beswick at Gristhorpe near Scarborough.

Under the watchful eye of members of the Scarborough Philosophical Society workmen dug down into a tumulus to reveal a large oak coffin. When opened the coffin revealed the skeleton of a man along with a quantity of grave goods. The remarkable preservation of the coffin and it's contents was ascribed to the water retaining properties of the boulder clay of Gristhorpe cliff.

The water in the coffin was examined by Dr Murray who decided it was the same as the local spring water. There was a small quantity of adipocere still present in the water, as well as sulphate of lime. The bones were blackened by a reaction of the iron in the water with the tannin in the bark of the coffin.

The bones were articulated by Dr Harland and Thomas Weddell in preparation for the removal of the skeleton to the Scarborough Museum (later known as the Rotunda Museum).The bones, although complete, were delicate and an early attempt at conservation proved highly effective. The bones were placed in a laundry copper and simmered in a thin solution of glue made from horse bones. They were then air dried for several days.

A monograph on the discovery was written by William Crawford Williamson, the son of John Williamson first keeper of the Rotunda Museum, who went on to become Professor of Natural History at Manchester University. This monograph was an extraordinary achievement given that Williamson was only seventeen at the time.

Williamson's report, illustrated with exquisite drawings of the skull and grave goods, details the method of preservation, the dimensions of the coffin, the grave goods and describes the skeleton as that of an ancient British Chief who lived c500 B.C. or early Bronze Age. Radio carbon dating carried out in the 1980s places the coffin between 1600 and 1400 B.C.

The oak coffin was displayed outside the Museum for many years but in 1853 it was moved inside as it was much decayed due to damp. Today only a few fragile timbers remain from the base of the coffin but the lid is still in very good condition.

Gristhorpe Man is thought to be the best preserved example of an oak tree trunk burial. In 2005 he, along with his coffin and grave goods, was transported to the Department of Archaeological Sciences at Bradford University. This extraordinary find underwent a series of modern scientific tests which has increased our knowledge about Gristhorpe Man. The members of the Scarborough Philosophical Society who watched the exhumation in 1834 and preserved the remains with such care would have been fascinated by modern scientific archaeology and would heartily approve our attempts to find out more.

Gristhorpe Man returned to Scarborough in 2008 and is currently displayed at the restored Rotunda Museum where he is one of the earliest documented exhibits.