The Wemyss Caves: Mystery as storm uncovers skull and bones

A single human skull and bone fragments, thought to have been teased from their resting place by erosion caused by recent violent storms that lashed the Fife coast, were spotted on Friday.

They were found by Buckhaven resident Stuart Cook, site warden for the Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society (SWACS), which was set up to highlight the threat to the caves from erosion and vandalism. 

He said: “I was checking the coast edge for any damage caused by the recent storms and came across what seemed to be a couple of bone fragments. On closer inspection, I could also make out what was obviously a human skull poking out of the sand.”

In a social media post, the group said it believes the bones could be 1,000 years old.

Police were called following the discovery on Friday. Once they were confirmed as not being recent, the site was excavated by teams from AOC Archaeology on behalf of Historic Environment Scotland, with Fife Archaeological Unit and volunteers from the group.

The Wemyss Caves (Image: Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society (S.W.A.C.S.))

The group’s social media post said: “The skull was largely intact, but what appeared initially to just be a bit of leg bone sticking out of the soil turned out to be a complete separate burial.

“This burial was lying directly on top of the bedrock and had probably been covered by a layer of stones, some of which remained in position.

“Unusually, the body was in a crouched position.”

The find follows previous discoveries of skeletons in the area and has raised the suggestion that there could have been an ancient burial ground in the vicinity.  

The caves, believed to have been formed by the power of the sea between 5000 to 8000 years ago, are on the north shore of the Firth of Forth near the village of East Wemyss, close to the ruins of the medieval Macduff Castle.

The contain a high number of wall carvings, with the earliest thought to date to the Bronze Age.

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Most, however, date from the Pictish period. Considered to be the highest concentration of Pictish cave carvings in Britain, they offering a tantalising glimpse into a past world for which there are no written records.

Of the 60 recognised Pictish symbols in Scotland, the caves once featured 49 of them. They include the clear outlines of fish, strange beasts, carved discs and an early representation of a Viking longship with prow and oars.

There can also be found crosses carved into the cave walls by early Christian missionaries.

However, erosion and vandalism have taken their toll: there were once eleven caves, including two on the west side of the village, The Glassworks Cave and the Michael Cave,  which no longer exist.

Of the six remaining caves to the east of the village, one of them, Jonathan’s Cave, was badly damaged in 1986 when vandals drove a car inside and set it alight, destroying precious carvings.

Since then, there have been determined efforts to protect the caves and raise awareness of their national importance.

But while tidal defences have been installed in an effort to hold back the waves and protect the caves, it’s feared they will eventually be lost forever.

They have been successfully laser mapped, and their Pictish carvings digitally recorded for future generations.

The archaeological excavation at the location where the bones were found is now complete and the remains are to undergo forensic analysis.

Joanna Hambly, archaeologist with the SCAPE Trust, added: “At least five skeletons have previously been found along the coast, the most recent in 1988 and 1993.

“These were radiocarbon-dated to around the 11th century, so it’s probable that the new finds are at least 1,000 years old and from a now-eroded early medieval cemetery. No grave goods, eg pottery or metalworking, have been found with any of the burials.

“Why there might have been a cemetery here is unclear, but early Christian crosses found in several Fife caves, including our own Jonathan’s Cave and the collapsed West Doo Cave, tells us that they were important places for early Christianity and may have been places of pilgrimage.”

Stencils of Bronze Age art, found within Wemyss Bay's ancient caves (Image: Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society (S.W.A.C.S.))

Bones were last found at the historic site in 2020 by a local man who saw them sticking out of the earth near the shoreline near Jonathan’s Cave.

While the discovery sparked excitement that they could be a significant archaeological find, analysis later revealed there were, in fact, cattle bones.

It’s thought those bones were from a 19th Century midden, used as the base material for the coastal track.

Results of analysis of the bones found in the latest discovery are expected next year. 

Mike Arrowsmith, SWACS Chair, added: “Coastal erosion presents a real long-term threat to this unique site, but events like this can also help us learn more about its history. Modern scientific techniques can now give us a wealth of information on where these people might have come from and the lives they may have led. We’re all excitedly looking forward to the results of the analysis next year.”

The Wemyss Caves are preserved and protected by Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society (S.W.A.C.S.). The group carry out tours of the caves and have worked to uncover its stories since their formation in 1986. You can find SWACS here on Facebook and also find out more on their official website wemysscaves.org