Archaeology discovery of ancient UK cave filled with human bones stuns researchers

The British Isles are home to some of the most dramatic and unforgiving coastlines in the world, much of which has remained untouched and isolated for centuries.

northeastern coast is no exception, where jagged cliffs and treacherous terrain conceal a network of ancient and mysterious caves.

Among these are the Covesea Caves – near Inverness – which contain some of the most enigmatic archaeological sites in Britain. Carved by nature and time, the caves are extremely inaccessible, requiring great skill to locate and enter.

Despite the perilous journey, a team of previously ventured into the Covesea Caves to uncover their long-held secrets.

Their findings were explored in the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary, Mystic Britain: Mummies, revealing a discovery that shocked the scientific community—evidence of ancient mummification practices in Britain.

The finding was extraordinary, as mummification is traditionally associated with , not Bronze Age Britons. Yet the Covesea Caves appear to have been a sacred site where the dead were not merely buried but carefully preserved.

Dr Lindsey Büster, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, reflected on the challenges ancient people would have faced in reaching these caves.

She explained: “For prehistoric people to make the effort and to make the journey would have been really arduous and quite a difficult thing to do.”

The dangerous climb suggests the site held immense spiritual or ritual significance, drawing people back repeatedly over generations. Dr Büster believes there was something inherently mystical – or even magical – about the caves that made them a chosen resting place for the dead.

When archaeologists began excavating the cave floors, they were met with an astonishing sight: human bones scattered across the ground. These remains, however, were far from ordinary.

Some of the hand bones still retained soft tissue, specifically ligaments – a highly unusual find for remains dating back 3,000 years to the Bronze Age. “It’s not something we expect when we’re excavating a site that’s 3,000 years old,” Dr. Büster remarked. “That’s a really significant find.”

The presence of preserved flesh suggests that the bodies may not have been buried in the traditional sense but instead underwent a form of preservation. The cave’s natural environment likely contributed to this process.

High levels of salt in the air, combined with evidence of ancient fires lit inside the cave, created conditions ideal for preserving human remains. Archaeologists discovered charred areas, indicating that fires had been intentionally set, perhaps to dry and smoke the bodies. The documentary narrator noted that this combination of smoking and salting resembled a .

Dr Büster theorises that once the ancient Britons noticed how bodies were naturally preserved within the caves, they deliberately returned to the site to lay more of their dead to rest. “I think once bodies began to be brought into the cave and were behaving in ways that they didn’t normally do on above-ground sites, those characteristics were probably well noted and became a factor in people coming back again and again over centuries to deposit their dead.”

The Covesea Caves’ reputation as a mystical and sacred space is further supported by the presence of ancient artwork. The most renowned of these caves, the Sculptor’s Cave, is etched with Pictish carvings that adorn its entrance walls.

These enigmatic symbols, dating from around 600 to 800 AD, were first uncovered during excavations by archaeologist Sylvia Benton between 1928 and 1930. They offer a glimpse into the , who likely viewed the cave as a place of great spiritual power.

Further excavations in 1979, led by Ian and Alexandra Shepherd, unearthed a remarkable collection of artefacts from different periods, including Late Bronze Age metalwork, Roman Iron Age objects, and additional human remains.

The wide array of findings suggests that the cave was a significant cultural and ritual site used across different civilizations and periods.

The discovery of possible mummification practices within the Covesea Caves challenges long-held assumptions about prehistoric Britain. It suggests that ancient Britons engaged in complex funerary rituals, perhaps influenced by environmental factors or spiritual beliefs. This insight adds a new layer to our understanding of how ancient societies interacted with their dead and the landscapes they considered sacred.

The Covesea Caves continue to captivate archaeologists and historians alike, serving as a haunting reminder of Britain’s forgotten past and the lengths to which ancient peoples went to honour their dead.