Historic bones and teeth discovered at Lizard Point
Excavations have been underway at the National Trust's Lizard Point in Cornwall after a young visitor found a historic tooth which was identified as human.
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.
As we learn more, we will regularly update this page.
Tooth found at LIzard Point
Young visitor holding the tooth that started the investigation
