Skeletons: Remains of 240 people under Haverfordwest store

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63193600

crikey....alot of bones to sort through!

[DBS]

I should have thought it would usually be easy to distinguish between bone damage from an arrow and bone damage from a musket ball, but happy to be told otherwise.  Certainly when I did my Service first aid training, was always told a bullet wound was normally far easier to handle than a penetrating blade wound.  Also, not sure when anyone is likely to have been hit by a musket ball and buried at the priory before, presumably, the dissolution; one suspects not many firearms in use in 1405.  But hey, local archaeologists have to try to drum up interest somehow... 

[Erpingham]

The graveyard continued in use until the 18th century, which would explain the musket balls.  On bullet and arrow wounds, they should be distinguishable but not necessarily during excavation.  That's when the bone specialists come into their own.

[DBS]

The graveyard continued in use until the 18th century, which would explain the musket balls.  On bullet and arrow wounds, they should be distinguishable but not necessarily during excavation.  That's when the bone specialists come into their own.

Fair enough if the graveyard continued in use - missed that detail.  Though that really only leaves the Civil War as a likely scenario for anything other than the odd hunting accident, and I am not aware of any action at Haverfordwest, as opposed to further afield in Pembrokeshire.

[Erpingham]

The graveyard continued in use until the 18th century, which would explain the musket balls.  On bullet and arrow wounds, they should be distinguishable but not necessarily during excavation.  That's when the bone specialists come into their own.

Fair enough if the graveyard continued in use - missed that detail.  Though that really only leaves the Civil War as a likely scenario for anything other than the odd hunting accident, and I am not aware of any action at Haverfordwest, as opposed to further afield in Pembrokeshire.

Yes, in some ways, musket wounds would be more of a mystery, though need careful archaeological work to make sure any arrow casualties did tie into the Glyndwr period.
   

[Jim Webster]

The graveyard continued in use until the 18th century, which would explain the musket balls.  On bullet and arrow wounds, they should be distinguishable but not necessarily during excavation.  That's when the bone specialists come into their own.

Fair enough if the graveyard continued in use - missed that detail.  Though that really only leaves the Civil War as a likely scenario for anything other than the odd hunting accident, and I am not aware of any action at Haverfordwest, as opposed to further afield in Pembrokeshire.

remember people can come home to die later. Indeed you could have people who fought and were wounded in the '45 or even in Flanders finally succumbing to their wounds at home

[RichardC]

It would wild if any of the skeletons were connected to the French landing in Fishguard in 1797.

Unlikely but maybe a few stragglers escaped further south.

[Imperial Dave]

now there's a thought!

[Erpingham]

now there's a thought!

But an unlikely one, given the date and the lack of clarity on how much the burial ground was used in the 18th century.

[Imperial Dave]

now there's a thought!

But an unlikely one, given the date and the lack of clarity on how much the burial ground was used in the 18th century.

lets not let sensible comments intrude upon rosey-tinted wistfulness