When Palace Green Library (at the elevated site of Durham Castle and Cathedral) began digging foundations for an extension to their café, the archaeology department of Durham University were on hand to see what may be contained within the ground. What was unearthed would lead to a wide-reaching and internationally-significant project.
Human remains in skeletal form (up to 28 men) were found, and were examined by the university’s world-renowned Osteology department. Their research discovered the remains to be from a mass grave containing prisoners-of-war from the Battle of Dunbar in 1650.
I designed a large-scale exhibition across three different spaces in Palace Green Library, as well as a touring version which exhibited in several locations in the United States as well as Dunbar. There were several sections, from the battle and its historical context to the subsequent distribution of the survivors across the world and the scientific study of the remains and discovery which informed the exhibition’s content. The exhibition was a winner in The Journal‘s cultural awards and celebrated in archaeology and osteology academic circles.
Alongside a multitude of historical paintings and items from the museum, castle and cathedral collections, the exhibition told the stories of those whose remains had been found. There was also an interesting link to the present day through the survivors of the battle who were sold as indentured servants to the New World – their diaspora in the US numbering close to 500,000 relatives – the TV and film star Jon Cryer was found to be a relative of one of the soldiers in the US version of the TV Show Who do you Think You Are?
A book was also written called Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650 that has become a favourite amongst history enthusiasts and was a bestseller in its category on Amazon.
