Storm Waves Revealed An Ancient Christian Secret Buried Beneath The Sands

For hundreds of years, Whitesands Bay remained pretty stable and its secrets consequently stayed hidden from view. That started to change in the 1920s, though, when archeologists began digging in the area. But since around 2013, extreme weather events have hit and stirred up the beach’s sands. With that, hints of further mysteries contained beneath began to emerge – forcing experts to conduct so-called “rescue excavations.”

Archeologists descended upon Whitesands Bay in 2013 – spending the following four years conducting digs in the area. Their work proved to be quite fruitful, in fact, as they managed to make quite a few discoveries during that period. But when they finished up in 2016, there was still much to be found.

In the summer of 2021 this same group of experts decided that it was time to return to Whitesands Bay. They knew, after all, that the area had plenty more discoveries just screaming to be made. With more work, these experts could shed light on how the people of this land lived their lives centuries ago.

Whitesands Bay has a long and rich history – the evidence for that is scattered all around the beach. As far back as the sixth century, it seems, people came to this place for a particular reason. And it was all to do with their religion and how they dealt with the deceased.

Whitesands Bay sits inside Pembrokeshire – a southwesterly county of Wales. The whole area is a historian’s dream, as everywhere you look there are signs of human activity from long ago. Structures dating back thousands of years can still be seen here – not to mention signs of more recent endeavors.

As a coastal county, it goes without saying that Pembrokeshire’s history has been largely shaped by the sea. Defensive structures from different eras line the coastline today – like castles or simple rock forts. It’s all evidence of the efforts people living in the region went to in order to thwart seafaring invaders.

The edge of Pembrokeshire is often extremely rugged, and plenty of tall cliffs can be found alongside the sandy beaches. The area is hilly and mountainous, with some areas reaching a peak of more than 1,700 feet above sea level, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. In short, it’s a beautiful and striking place on top of being historically significant.

Pembrokeshire was actually a hugely significant place during Britain’s Bronze Age. Evidence of this comes from the ancient structures in the area that date back to the period, which is broadly considered to have occurred between 2500 and 700 B.C. The Iron Age then followed, and this also saw the region maintain its importance.

The Iron Age in Britain ended in a more unequivocal fashion in 43 A.D., when the Romans began their conquest. For the following three and a half centuries, Britain was exposed to new ideas and practices under Roman rule. Roads and sanitation systems were built, new languages and religions introduced and entire cities constructed. Naturally, this all had an enormous impact on the country. 

Over time, Rome’s influence began to wane and that particular chapter in Britain’s history came to a close. Now, other groups vied for power throughout the land. Who were they, though? Well, across the sea to the west, Irish invaders made incursions into Britain. And up north were the Picts, who lived in modern-day Scotland.

Different Germanic peoples also soon began laying claim to Britain. The Jutes, Saxons and Angles all made their way over from the European mainland. In doing so, of course, they ended up altering the course of the country’s history forever. Before long, Germanic languages were being spoken all throughout the place.

The Romans had brought the beginnings of Christianity to Britain – a religion which ultimately managed to endure the influence of Germanic traditions. Still, though, not many records exist from the fifth and sixth centuries, so Britain’s early Christian history is a little mysterious. Hence, any discoveries that might shed light on it are particularly valuable.

That’s why Whitesands Bay is of such interest to archeologists, because it has a strong link to early British Christianity. Basically, the beach was once where a hugely significant building once stood. This was St. Patrick’s Chapel, which has a fascinating and important history that stretches beyond Britain and into Ireland.

Legend has it that, back in the 5th century, St. Patrick made his way to Ireland from the spot where the chapel stood. He had actually come from Britain, though his religious influence on Ireland was profound and he later became the country’s patron saint. St. Patrick’s Chapel, then, is really important to Christians.

The coastal site was used for human burials even before the chapel was raised. That means that underneath the sandy beach – where people today flock to relax in the sunshine – there are a huge number of ancient human remains. And after intense storms, these old bones can be revealed to those on the surface.

At various points over the last 100 years, archeologists have descended upon Whitesands Bay in order to take part in excavations of the site. And unfortunately, with each year that passes, their task becomes increasingly urgent. That’s because erosion and extreme weather is washing the site away – meaning that the wonders contained within could be lost forever.

Particularly harsh and stormy weather started to batter into Whitesands Bay back in 2013. With that, people from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust and the University of Sheffield realized they needed to get to work immediately. More bones had just been exposed, so excavations needed to be carried out right away or they’d potentially lose so much.

By 2016 the archeologists had excavated nearly 50 skeletons from beneath the sands of Whitesands Bay, according to the BBC. Apparently, these remains could be traced back as far as the seventh century. These were tantalizing discoveries for the researchers, as they helped to shed light on the burial practices of people from the region all those years ago.

Quite a number of the remains had been excavated from what are known as “cist” graves, which are lengthy burying places with slabs of stone placed along the edges. Some children’s resting places were also found, and these were decorated with minerals and shells. One grave was marked by a cross made of stone – apparently an unusual find in Britain. In short, there was plenty for the researchers to consider!

Ken Murphy from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust told the BBC in 2016, “Bone analysis by the University of Sheffield will provide information on the diet of the people who are buried at St Patrick’s Chapel – and even on where they were born. The results of the excavation will greatly advance our knowledge of the lives and the beliefs of the people who lived in Wales over 1,000 years ago.”

A couple of months after Murphy spoke to the BBC about work taking place at Whitesands Bay, the site was again in the news. This time, the interest came from a potential link between the spot and St. David. That was particularly interesting for the people of Pembrokeshire, as he is Wales’ own patron saint.

Any evidence that might shed light on St. David’s life is really important, as we don’t really know much about him as things stand. One of the few records that does exist claims that he had a familial connection to the royalty of Wales. And it’s also said that he was born at the edge of a cliff in the middle of a terrible storm. Who knows if that’s true or not, though?

There’s a decidedly more mystical element to the story of St. David that exists today. For example, in the medieval period King Arthur was believed to be his uncle. But here’s no strong evidence to suggest such a monarch ever really existed. And there’s another rumor that St. Patrick had a premonition in which he predicted David’s birth.

When David became an adult, tradition has it, he joined the priesthood and was taught by another prominent Christian figure by the name of St. Paulinus. According to the Historic UK website, he later went on to perform many miracles – including one he did to help Paulinus. David apparently brought back his mentor’s failed sense of sight.

St. David set out on many travels during his lifetime – journeying all over Britain and even to Jerusalem. Bearing in mind the time in which he lived, this would have been no mean feat! During some of his many excursions, he set up monasteries and left his mark all over Britain.

David is said to have passed away in 589 A.D. after apparently living for more than 100 years. Whether that’s true or not, his legacy was undoubtedly powerful after his death. He helped to spread Christianity around Britain – ultimately leading him to be named as a saint a few centuries after his death. He then became the Welsh patron saint.

Given the more mystical aspects of St. David’s story, it can be very difficult to decipher between fact and fiction. That’s why discoveries potentially linked with the man are so tantalizing for historians. The works at Whitesands Bay, then, caused a stir in July 2016 when a possible connection between the site and David was found.

Some of the human remains that were found at St. Patrick’s Chapel during excavation works could be traced back to the beginning of the sixth century. This was around the time that David was working as a bishop. Phil Bennett – cultural heritage manager at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority – spoke to the BBC to explain why that’s interesting. He said, “Without doubt some of the people buried in St. Patrick’s Chapel would have been contemporaries of St. David – they might even have known him.”

Bennett went on, “They were not necessarily compatriots, though. Research by the University of Sheffield on skeletons from similar sites in Pembrokeshire revealed that some of the people buried in them were not local but came from Ireland and continental Europe. Initial results from St. Patrick’s Chapel suggest a similar pattern – making Whitesands Bay rather cosmopolitan.”

Even after those archeological works finished up in 2016, there was still so much more left in the ground at Whitesands Bay. Having said that, it was another five years before the experts came back to work some more on the site. And they did so, finally, in the summer of 2021. What did the team discover this time, then?

Well, this round of excavations was apparently kickstarted after casual beachgoers noticed some skeletons in the sand in the wake of a storm. This must surely have come as a terrible shock for the unsuspecting people. But on the plus side, it ultimately encouraged the experts to return to the site.

The discovery of these remains and the graves they were laid to rest in suggested Christian burial practices. The heads of all the skeletons were pointed in a westerly direction, while there were no signs that they’d been buried with any of their personal items. That was all indicative that these people had once belonged to an age-old Christian sect, according to the experts.

One of the skeletons was found in a grave marked by a bunch of stones piled up on top of one another. This seems to date back to the Bronze Age, but it was eventually lost to time and covered up by the cemetery. And it goes to show just how rich a history this specific area really has!

Even after all the archeological excavations that have taken place at Whitesands Bay, experts know that there’s still so much more to find beneath the sands. And the remains that have already been found will need to be studied in more detail. We might, for example, be able to learn what people in this area once ate all those centuries ago.

Of course, the pressure is on the archeologists. They know that it’s only a matter of time before coastal erosion and severe weather conditions diminish the chances of making any meaningful discoveries. If the dunes disappear into the sea, then all the remaining secrets here may be lost for good.

Speaking to the BBC, one of the archeologists explained why their work is so crucial. Jenna Smith reflected, “It’s really important because the preservation of the bones – as they are in sand – is absolutely incredible. We’ve lifted over 90 burials in the last three weeks. It’s really important that we do so because it gives that snapshot in time which we don’t normally get in Wales. The bone doesn’t normally exist.”

The threat to Whitesands Bay caused by erosion sadly isn’t unique. In fact, the whole coastal edge of Pembrokeshire and even Wales itself is under threat. The wider implications of this are extremely bleak, but even to focus exclusively on how it will affect archeological works in the region is sobering in and of itself.

Experts have estimated that Whitesands Bay is eroding at a really quick rate. And within 100 years, the ruins of St. Patrick’s Chapel and its surrounding cemetery will likely be swept away, according to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Essentially, the loss does appear certain to occur at some point.

So, archeologists have no choice but to continue digging up the site in order to recover everything they can. Their work has already helped to paint a picture of the early Christian inhabitants of Pembrokeshire, but there are still gaps in their story. Hopefully, they can fill them in before it’s too late.