Ingleborough Archaeology Group Chairman, David Johnson, with some of the horse bones. © John Asher

When a Yorkshire archaeology group began excavating some 17th century lime kilns in the Dales National Park, they expected to find remains linked to the once important industry.

Instead, they found a mysterious collection of horse bones buried inside the kilns, which had then been backfilled.

Members of the Ingleborough Archaeology Group are now looking for clues to the significance of the strange burial. One theory is that the remains were ritually buried to ward off evil before the kilns were abandoned.

“These were not animals that fell in or were thrown in,” said David Johnson, Chairman of the archaeology group.

“In two of the kilns, at Feizor and at Newby Core near Clapham, we found nearly identical sets of bones – a skull, at least one large leg bone, one shoulder bone and a couple of vertebrae,” he went on. “And they had all been stacked in a pile very neatly. One near Kilnsey just had a horse’s skull in it.”

Accounts of animals and other items being buried in the foundations of buildings before their construction are known, but to be used in a closure ritual before a structure is abandoned is not a familiar idea. David believes the kiln burials are therefore quite unique.

The only pointer he has found is an article about an 18th century house on the Isle of Man that had animal bones buried under it to ward off evil spirits. The paper also mentioned similar burials in Wales and Ireland.

“There are also references to horse skulls with boars’ tusks shoved up the front teeth sockets,” he said, “ but none of these are closure rituals.”

The Kilnsey lime kiln. © Chris Bonsall

The excavations are part of a research project into the historical limestone industry in the area, and is supported by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The main uses of quicklime (burnt lime) were for making mortar and plasters, as well as to change the pH of acidic pastures. The excavated kilns were in use from about 1620-1670.

“It’s an odd thing to put the bones in the bottom of the pit – and even odder to put them there when the kiln was finished with and was being filled in,” commented Robert White, Senior Conservation Archaeologist with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

Ingleborough Archaeology Group are also trying to work out why some quicklime was left in the abandoned kilns.

“We would be very interested to hear from anyone who has come across similar activity and may think they have the answer,” said Robert.

“The 17th century was a period of the lime burning industry about which very little was known so the survey and excavations by David Johnson and the Ingleborough Archaeology Group are a really good example of local archaeology fieldwork by a local society.”