With a human skull in the garden?

[Slippersandacuppa]

Because I've never been in this situation before.

We've been tidying up the garden and have piles of rubble all over the place. One of our rickety old fences borders a graveyard (very old belonging to ancient church) and I'm assuming the skull sort of drifted under our fence and has been near the top of the soil for a while. I hope.

I've googled but can't seem to find much info. I'll be contacting the parish council on Monday but wondered if it warrants a call to 101 (or whatever it is) to register it just in case it's not a graveyard wanderer

Anyone had a similar experience?!

[Flossieflower01]

Ring the non emergency police number- you can't assume it's from the graveyard!

[Oakmaiden]

Hm. I would call 101, or whatever, just in case.

But make sure you tell them you live next door to a graveyard.

[DoreenLethal]

Yes definitely. I used to work in civil engineering and we had to call it in whenever we found bones whilst digging foundations for roads or stuff.

Once we found an old moonshine distillery under a long ago bombed pub.

[HookedOnHooking]

You need to call the police and report it. They'll organise archeological stuff.

It'll all be a massive pain in the arse and go in for months and you won't even get to keep it at the end.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

where are you keeping it til monday?

[Slippersandacuppa]

Right ho, will call them.

Very cool Doreen! Bet that livens the job up somewhat.

We're marked it out in a sort of CSI type way and won't be doing any more digging around there!

[BoGrainger]

Afaik all human remains need reporting. It could be an unsolved case. More likely to be from the graveyard but it needs verifying.

[Hawkmoth]

Doesn't Someone have to come out and certify death? I think you have to call the police.

[gamerchick]

Just ring police an ask advice. If you're lucky you'll get your whole garden dug over.

[EdithWeston]

Yes, first call is police, as they will want to check that it is a historical not recent artefact.

Assuming it is historical, you then need to contact a suitable body organisation to take charge of appropriate re-interment. As you're right by a churchyard, then yes PCC for church re-burial (parish priest can always ask diocese if not sure). Other good source of guidance is your nearest university archaeology department.

[Sparklingbrook]

Ooh maybe Time Team could come round and dig some trenches?

[HookedOnHooking]

I realise that it would be extremely weird to want to keep it.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

I would also call 101. I can't imagine OP wanted to keep it!

[HookedOnHooking]

Mate of mine found human remains in their garden from an ancient cemetery. It's something her boys were most upset about. She was more upset about the massive delays and disruption.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

hawkmoth, I'd hope that it is fairly evident that they are dead

[Thelastusername]

I'd have lobbed it back over the fence op- after freaking out. That is a grim find.

However, rational thing is to report it.

[Slippersandacuppa]

This is the most exciting thing that's happened here since we had a baby song thrush last June.

We've already got archaeologists involved on the other side of the house as we're in an area of interest - Saxon settlements I think. They aren't due to start for a while though (extension happening soon).

We may just turn the whole place into a walk-over museum if they find anything interesting.

kitten Eldest child put it in a cardboard box before we realised what it was (it's incomplete) but it's back where it was now.

[DinosaursRoar]

I'm with ZZZZZ - it's not particularly normal to want to keep someone else's head.

Call the police. Don't suggest to them that you should be allowed to keep Yorick.

[MyDobbygotgivenasock]

Not had a similar experience but it does seem quite clear cut.
I think I'd be tempted to call the non emergency police line or get your local number just to make sure that there's nothing special you need to do. The only reason I say that though is a great deal of experience with our parish council and I wouldn't trust them to know what to do with their own heads. Ymmv.

My huge experience of television tells me an appropriately qualified person will confirm it's all above board and you can hand it back to be decently attended to. I'll be interested to see replies from people in the know (because MN knows everything). That must have been a bit disconcerting for you

[MaddyHatter]

OYBBK, i was about to say.. i would hope if its skeletal its waaaay past the need to certify it dead...

[Slippersandacuppa]

No lobbing. DS' first question was whether he'd be allowed to show and tell it

See, that's the thing. I assumed it would be criminal/ unethical/ unholy or something to own, buy or sell human bones but all the stuff I read on the web said it's not. Laws apply to human tissue. Bones are fair game

[Sparklingbrook]

I bet Kirsty Allsopp would have some ideas to give it a makeover and have it as a feature in your garden.

[Scarydinosaurs]

😂😂😂 the idea you would want to keep it!!!

[MyDobbygotgivenasock]

Well my Internet is so slow my post is redundant. There were no replies when I started.
I bet it will be interesting for the call handler as well!