Townhouse reveals real skeletons in closet

Mar 16 2005 Gareth Morgan, Western Mail

SKELETONS in the closet were a real-life problem for Ashford Price when he opened a cupboard in his late aunt's bedroom to be confronted with dozens of human remains.

The grand Georgian townhouse in the stately sweep of Swansea's leafy St James's Crescent had hidden a secret for decades until its owner, Brenda Morgan, 84, passed away.

Police were immediately called after the discovery, but suspicions were dampened when it was noticed all the bones had been carefully cleaned and numbered.

The remains were in fact 42 human skeletons dating back over 3,000 years to the Bronze Age. They had been discovered at Dan yr Ogof caves by the Morgan family 80 years ago.

Now, in one of the most unusual ceremonies ever performed, the bones will be returned whence they came and reburied in "Bone Cave" tomorrow.

Mr Price, whose family own the show caves in the Swansea Valley, said, "My family have been here for yonks and in the 1920s and '30s they found the skeletons.

"But it was not apparent what had happened to many of them until 18 months ago, when my aunt, whose father helped discover the caves, passed away.

"There was an absolutely huge oak wardrobe in one of her bedrooms and inside I found these large packing cases.

"I got a colleague with me to help pull them out and found hundreds of bones. Of course I called the police.

"Happily they were part of the original cave dwellers' remains from Dan yr Ogof."

The skeletons were discovered after long archaeological excavations decades ago, but in 1940 during the war the caves were taken over by the Ministry of Defence.

They were used to store ammunition and art treasures for fear of Nazi invasion, but the skeletons were removed for safe keeping - then later assumed lost.

Ancient bones, Nazis and archaeology make for a tale that reads like something from an Indiana Jones film, and Mr Price admits that the circumstances are unusual.

"I do not think anything like this has happened before. We have had to be very careful with them and we have spent all winter looking for a suitable place to put them in the caves.

"They are the remains of our human ancestors after all, so we cannot really just dump them in a bucket and chuck them somewhere.

"It could not be too damp or too dry or the bones could be damaged; it took about seven months to find the best place."

It was felt that the Rev Alun Brookfield, vicar at nearby Abercrave for the past two years, should be asked to provide a simple ceremony appropriate to the pre-Christian spirituality of the cave dwellers as they are interred.

"I will offer an invitation to commend those who died to whatever gods they worshipped," said Mr Brookfield yesterday.

"And all people present will be able to contemplate this with whatever gods they worship."

He said he had no qualms performing such a ceremony as a Christian vicar.

"I have no problem with anything that encourages people to seek God," added Mr Brookfield.

"It is very unusual, though. Completely unique in my experience."

Some of the bones will remain visible to the public at Dan yr Ogof show caves after the reburial.