Event/Activity EPM301 - Exercise Magwitch, Rat Island 2017

In May 2017 excavations were carried out on Burrow Island (also known as 'Rat Island') in Portsmouth Harbour to recover human remains at immediate risk from erosion. Burrow Island is part of the Ministry of Defence Estate and the work was funded through Conservation Stewardship Funding of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Ministry of Defence). The team undertaking the fieldwork included archaeologists from the Ministry of Defence, specialists from Cranfield Forensics Institute and military personnel on Operation Nightingale. Burrow Island is also situated within an area of Special Scientific Interest. The excavation was planned following the discovery and rapid recording of human remains on the island in 2014 when graves were exposed by winter storms. It was not possible to undertake detailed recording of the remains in situ in 2014 but photographs were taken where possible and GPS readings of the grave cuts recorded. The skeletal remains were later analysed at Cranfield Forensics Institute. Prior to the 2017 excavations a Ground Penetrating Radar survey was carried out by Cranfield Forensics Institute which identified anomalies which it was thought may have represented further burials. The fieldwork in 2017 took place between the 2nd and 5th May. In addition to recovering remains at risk, the fieldwork in 2017 also aimed to answer a number of questions about the burials, specifically: date; whether they related to prisoners of war or convicts from prison hulks in Portsmouth Harbour, or were connected with something else; whether there was evidence of formalised burial; whether it would be possible to establish the origin of the individuals by further scientific analysis; to establish the likely extent of burials on the island. Excavation was carried out by hand and material from the graves hand sieved. Graves were drawn in plan with a profile drawn across. Three of the burials were also recorded with a photogrammetric survey and these graves planned with Differential GPS. Metal detectors were used to assess the area around the graves but no finds were recovered from stratified contexts. The graves did not contain any objects. The skeletal remains of four adult males were recovered in 2017. The remains were analysed by Cranfield Forensics Institute and a facial reconstruction and 3d skull print of one of the burials was produced by Facelab. Human remains from a combined total of nine individuals were recovered from the site in 2014 and 2017. No clear dating evidence was recorded during the excavation and there were no finds within the graves to provide information about the origin of the burials. It was thought likely that some, possibly all, had been prisoners residing on prison hulks in Portsmouth Harbour during the late 18th or early 19th centuries. It was concluded that there was a very high likelihood that further burials were present, particulary in the east and south eastern parts of the island, and therefore erosion should be carefully monitored. The recovery of further burials would potentially enable further research to take place into whether the men had been convicts or prisoners of war.