Tram workers unearth human remains

TRAM workers unearthed evidence of a 16th century leper hospital and cemetery when they found human bones on Leith Walk, it has been revealed.

Archaeologists were today removing the last of ten skeletons from their resting place. They believe the well-preserved remains are evidence of the hospital, which was located just outside the old city boundaries. Although it is marked on some maps, historians have not been able to pinpoint its exact position before.

The bones were found by workers digging up the road to move utilities at the junction of Elm Row and London Road last month. Tram company TIE called in a team of experts from city firm Headland Archaeology.

They began painstakingly removing and cataloguing the bones. The remains will be carbon-dated and examined to determine their age, sex and whether they were suffering from any diseases.

Mike Kimber, project manager for Headland, said: "TIE contacted us when they discovered the burials. We've excavated eight skeletons and there are ten in total. We think we have found a barrier wall for the cemetery.

"There's no previous record of a cemetery here, but historic records do mention the leper hospital. Our best guess is they may be related to this."

He said they would be looking for further evidence of the disease when they studied the skeletons. Leprosy typically erodes the septum of the nose, and victims often have missing fingers or toes.

The remains are in relatively good condition, due to the acidity of the soil. They include two adults, who were each buried with a child.

City archaeologist John Lawson said the find would help fill in gaps in Edinburgh's history.

He said: "There was a huge fear of leprosy at the time. People would be put in the hospital and wouldn't come out.

"Just putting it on the map is a very important for our understanding of Edinburgh. It's been a bit of a lost site."

He said early Ordinance Survey maps had indicated the hospital was at the foot of Calton Hill, close to Greenside Parish Church.

Although the lepers would have been relatively well treated for the time, they would face harsh penalties if they tried to escape.

The bones were not discovered before as they were buried two metres below the surface. There is a good chance there are more in the area, but there are no immediate plans to excavate further.

The news follows the discovery of human remains thought to date from medieval times in Constitution Street in May. Three underground chambers were also found by tram workers on Princes Street in March.