An archaeological investigation at a 19th Century monastery in the Border Region of Scotland has lead to the unexpected find of human remains buried inside a Bronze Age stone cist. The find is near the village of Paxton, on the site of the abandoned village of Fishwick. This site was thriving in the Bronze Age and the community could have been as large as 500.
     Although the skeleton has not been fully examined yet, it is believed to be that of an adult, as the teeth are worn. The approximate age of the find is attested to by a pot which was buried in the cist, which is believed to date from 2,500 BCE. Although not confirmed, this could be part of a much larger burial site.
     Archaeological officer at Scottish Borders Counciul, Chris Bowles, is quoted as saying "Not a lot of these burial cists have survived in the Borders and this will give us an insight into how these burials were constructed and how they were used over time. This is being done very scientifically to modern standards using modern scientific techniques and will give us new clues into what was happening in the Bronze Age".

Edited from The Scotsman (5 august 2011), ITV.com (8 August 2011)