A large stone cist containing multiple Iron Age burials was uncovered in 1962 at Lochend, Dunbar. The cist was constructed with upright red sandstone slabs and dry-stone walling, capped by three large stones. Excavation revealed a complex burial sequence, with bones from at least 21 individuals found in various states of articulation and disarray. The grave appeared to have been reused multiple times, with successive interments disturbing earlier ones. The primary burial, identified as a woman aged 40 or older lay in a contracted position on her right side at the broader end of the cist. Her remains were mostly decomposed, surviving as a faint outline in the sand. Other burials were layered above and around her, suggesting the cist functioned as a communal vault. The narrow end of the cist showed greater bone density, likely due to repeated access and interment from that side.
The excavation uncovered fragments of penannular brooches and a domed stud with traces of red enamel and gilding. These items suggest an early Iron Age date, possibly extending into the Romano-British period. The brooches resemble type A in Fowler’s classification, with parallels found in East Yorkshire, Angus, and Cambridgeshire. The stud may have been part of a dress fastener, though its exact function remains uncertain.
A cist with walls of corbelled, coursed and orthostatic masonry was revealed during ploughing at North Belton, Dunbar. The cist contained two skeletons lying side by side, there were no accompanying grave goods. Radiocarbon dates suggest a date around the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. The structural style and date of the cist place it with a small group of Iron Age burials from the Tyne/Forth province (Crone 1992).
In 2005 a cist grave of pre-Roman or Roman Iron Age date (circa 1st century BC to 1st century AD) was excavated and recorded on the site of the former Empire Cinema on Dunbar High Street. Two adult males occupied the cist grave, one of whom was equipped with a sword and a spear, representing a rare example of an Iron Age burial with weapons in Scotland. Partial skeletal remains of two further individuals were also present. The warrior’s sword was placed behind his back, consistent with Iron Age traditions, and the spear lay beside his knee. He wore a projecting ring-headed pin fastening a woollen cloak. The second individual wore a bow brooch and a pin, both with textile traces, suggesting layered garments. Textile analysis confirmed the use of wool and linen, reflecting Iron Age clothing practices.
Radiocarbon dating confirmed the contemporaneity of the burials, with slight variation suggesting sequential interments. Isotope analysis indicated both individuals were local to Dunbar. The presence of partial remains may reflect excarnation or symbolic inclusion of body parts (Roy 2015). The pre-Roman or Roman Iron Age cist at Dunbar contained one of only a handful of such burials with weapons in Scotland, all of which lie close to the River Forth and its estuary. In its form of construction, mixing orthostatic and coursed masonry, it closely resembles the nearby Iron Age cist excavated at North Belton Farm (Crone 1992), which also contained a double inhumation.
One of the inhumation pits (058) at Musselburgh, Inveresk was stone-lined and covered over with large capstones to form a burial cist. Two human skeletons were found at the base of the bit. In terms of construction, the Primary Health Care Centre cist was very similar to other examples in East Lothian, for example Dunbar Golf Course and Gullane, which both consisted of an oval stone-lined pit with stone capstones. Radiocarbon dating of the skeletal remains indicates a date around 50 BC to AD 90 (Kirby 2020).