to think if there was a dead body buried in the garden you would want to know about it?

[CarenzaLewis2]

I know I would.

And I have discovered there is one in my neighbour’s garden. Do I tell them?

I hope the spirit will come and haunt you, properly. Especially if you, as you said, "want to poke it a bit".

i think a burial more recent would be more unsettling for a lot of people,
personally it wouldn't bother me as long as the relatives weren't turning upon a regular basis to pay respects and lay flowers!

if I were happily dead in someone's garden, and they started "poking me", I'd give them the poltergeist their entire family won't forget. They'd wish they didn't dig that deep and just planted some pelargoniums there instead.

There are ways you could do this OP, but I dont think this:

to think if there was a dead body buried in the garden you would want to know about it?

emotive, dramatic, and lacking facts, drip-feeding title is the way.

If you say that youve come across roman artifacta buried in their garden through archeological research, they will be of a totally different mind.

No, you wouldn't need to say 'did you know theres a corpse in your garden?'

Would you actually consider saying such a dramatic thing?

As an archaeologist it must be absolutely fascinating and frustrating to the enth not being able to investigate it.

There's a world of difference between having a 'corpse/dead body' of unknown age and degree of decomposition on your own grounds, and being on the edge of a Roman site with random archeological artefacts and remnants of bones scattered across properties newly built.

I'd want to know...without any drama!

Yes I'd want to know, imagine putting foundations in for a new shed.......
Aside I've found this thread really funny, sorry.

If it's historical as you suggest, whether or not I tell them would depend on the sort of people they are. If they are likely to think it's hilarious and dig the bones up for "a bit of a laugh" then I would say nothing. If they are likely to be interested and respectful, then I would tell them.

If however, I thought they might be superstitious or religious in a superstitious way, or impressionable, it could cause them distress to know it's there, and I would say nothing.

If it's Roman, or anything more than a few decades old, it's surely not 'a dead body', which implies a corpse with flesh, but just a skeleton.
I wouldn't tell neighbours in case it spooks them.

It wouldn't bother me though. If I knew where it was I'd probably plant some nice flowers on top and tell it I hope it's quite comfortable. 🙂

I think I'd want to know. I wouldn't immediately get out there with a shovel but I'd probably want to remove it and try to arrange a proper burial somewhere

Why would you care?

As an ex archaeologist I can tell you more people have remains in their garden than you'd think! And often completely unknown.

They're not going to start crawling up through your flowerbeds, or haunting your house if you accidentally hit them with a shovel whilst putting in a pond.

They're just ex-people. Worthy of respect but nothing to be worried about.

If it's roman is it really a corpse? I'd have probably just referred to it as Roman remains, or 'bones' at worst. It's not that dramatic, most places around the UK will have something or another that old buried in the garden! Tell them if you want, but be prepared for the response to be "eh.. okay?"

Just worry a little bit at Halloween when a hand pokes up through the grass and grabs your ankle.

going to start crawling up through your flowerbeds ....cue creepy music, and souls dragging themselves towards you in the dark...oooo

That creeped me out!

Lockheart how close to the surface are these bones likely to be. When I've seen digs theyve been trenches that the investigators can stand up in and not be seen! Although recently there was one where clearly there was a stone path/road or somesuch only a foot or so down.

But isn't a new housing estate significantly dug into when built which would expose anything too near the surface?

... when a hand pokes up through the grass and grabs your ankle 👺

Yes, this is why we all have to be extra vigilant on All Hallows night. Wooooo.....👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

🎃🎃

“... unleashed a plague on the city....”
The rats may have helped a bit.

I’d be interested in knowing.
Maybe you have one too. Maybe it’s not in the records, and you just haven’t done enough gardening yet. Good luck!

Oh good lord.

I was about to say...how recent.

if Roman, don't tell them. I mean, who knows what to do with that information? Do you know? Are you supposed to do anything if you find out that's on your property?

Are they " dead in a ditch"?

You said "corpse"

I wasn't expecting it to be Roman remains tbh.

@Smotheroffive it depends, but unlikely to be less than a foot deep in most places in the UK, although some areas do have very shallow topsoil.

It also depends how big the garden is - it could be possible to dig foundations for a house and miss something only a couple of feet away. It may even have been discovered during construction (legislation means that desk-based assessments must be carried out before construction work and contractors must be vigilant for archaeological deposits, but this depends on the age of the housing estate) but left in place.

Could be a Roman Remainer?
( sorry too long spent reading Brexit threads)

Surprised an archeologist would refer to roman remains as a corpse, or dead body tbh

I'd probably want to remove it and try to arrange a proper burial somewhere

It had a proper burial at the time.

Oh please... is there no escape from brexit...anywhere...even on a thread about dead bodies...

Dig it up and poke it, I actually really want to be your neighbour 😂

I've got a small Tumulus in my back garden according the ancient maps but its no real bother and no internt to dig it up anytime soon;!. I was playing around with a high defintion drown camera and you can see the shape of it mainly in my garden and a bit next door!

I believe that it is legal to bury someone in your own back garden after to have notified the coroner or some other legal bunch!..