Editing Dunbar (section)

==Archaeology==
During 2003, archaeological excavations at Oxwell Mains (Lafarge Cement Works) near Dunbar revealed the site of a [[Mesolithic]] house believed to be from around the [[9th millennium BC]]. The site suggests a domed building. Although considered extremely rare and a site of national importance this site is in the middle of an area planned for quarrying.

An archaeological excavation undertaken by [[Headland Archaeology]] on a site previously occupied by the Captain's Cabin (a local landmark) within the area of Castle Park identified a sequence of archaeological features reflecting around 2,000 years of human activity.{{sfn|Moloney|2002}}

The earliest feature was a large ditch which may have formed part of the defences around a [[promontory fort]] previously identified during earlier excavations near the coast at Castle Park. The scale of the ditches indicated an impressive monument. A [[radiocarbon]] date of between 50 BC and AD 70 was obtained from charcoal recovered from its infill.

Much later a rectangular building was built over the top of the infilled ditch. Large quantities of burnt grain were recovered indicating that the building was a grain store that had been destroyed by fire. It was established that this was part of the Anglian settlement that had also been identified during earlier excavations.

Between the 9th and 11th centuries the area was used as a cemetery. Archeologists excavated 76 articulated skeletons, and the disarticulated remains of a further 51 individuals were recovered. The articulated skeletons were all buried in the standard Christian fashion. A small number of the skeletons were in long [[cist]]s, but the majority were simple shroud burials.

A dump or [[midden]] above the cemetery contained many elephant ivory off-cuts dating to the 18th or 19th century.