Historic bones and teeth discovered at Lizard Point

The discovery

Arthur, aged seven, found a collection of teeth in the ground while exploring Lizard Point in August 2025. He showed them to Wildlife Watchpoint volunteer Ken Wallace who, being a retired dentist, recognised them as human. After a short police inquiry, the find was confirmed to be archaeological and passed to National Trust archaeologist Jim Parry.

Initial investigation

The mound where the remains were discovered has gradually eroded due to natural and man-made processes and will continue to do so over time given its coastal location. Jim Parry carried out work at the site and found fragments of jaw bones, teeth, and a skull belonging to at least one individual, with evidence of more being revealed through erosion.

At first, it was thought that at least one of the burials was prehistoric, but further excavations have shown that more work is needed to understand how many people are represented and the periods of their burial. As much as possible will be recorded before it is lost and, in the future, the aim is to excavate a wider area to fully understand the scale and nature of the monument in which the remains were buried.

Initial investigation complete

The excavation of the first burial is now complete. The remains will be studied by an osteoarchaeologist and samples sent for carbon dating. The skeletal remains were carefully lifted and preserved due to the rapid rate of erosion at the site. The remainder of the area is being temporarily protected from further erosion while a plan is developed to investigate the wider site in the coming months.

Week-long excavation

In early November, our National Trust regional archaeologist returned to Lizard Point for a week-long excavation, continuing work on the coastal site. During this phase, the remains of five individuals were uncovered within a small section of the dig. Based on their condition and burial orientation, each laid east to west, it is highly probable they were victims of a shipwreck. No clothing or artefacts were found alongside the remains. 

To prevent further loss due to coastal erosion, the most vulnerable remains, one complete skeleton and one skull, have been carefully excavated and removed. These will undergo radiocarbon dating, and we’ll share updates once results are available.  

Looking ahead, we plan to assess the possibility of further excavations once dating results are in. So far, only a small portion of the site has been explored, and the full extent of the burial area remains unknown. We anticipate returning to Lizard Point in spring 2026, at the earliest. 

As we learn more, we will regularly update this page.