Local or Legionary asks the notice next to four archaeological exhibits two skulls and two heads in The Trimontium Museum Melrose Scotland
A silent face recreated from out of an excavation at Trimontium Fort, bones left in a possible rush maybe discarded, or revered given a voice from modern testing.
Yorick, no, alas this is not a known individual. Hamlet to the skull of Yorik state he was, “a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times;... Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar?” William Shakespeare in his play Hamlet druring Act V Scene i has Hamlet remember the Jester and can see his memory align with the skull so famously brought to light and theatrical acclaim as new grave being dug discovers the fleshless head of Yorick.
The flesh has been put back on this skull now in The Trimontium Museum with scientific exact reconstruction. My quickly taken pictures are not accurate representations of the exhibits and have no relevance, or reflection of the superb work completed.
This skull excavated from deep within a pit inside the Roma Fort of Trimontium ask questions that may never be answered and it is also the source of modern examination and scientific revelation. The information given in the exhibit states that a tooth from this find has shown that the individual was between 35-46 years old and he lived locally from around Moffat in Scotland just South of Trimontium Fort site and also South of the Trimontium Museum.
© PHH Sykes 2025
Trimontium
Museum, Melrose,
Discover the fort at the heart of Roman
Scotland with Trimontium Museum!
The
following is
from
https://hub.catalogit.app/trimontium-museum/folder/9ada1330-a68c-11ef-ab2b-4d14608fffba
“Name/Title Skull Reconstruction
Entry/Object ID E.2023.13
Description Fully reconstructed head of skull found in pit at Trimontium.
Use The purpose of this reconstruction was done to give a face and partial identity to the individual's skull found during the 1905 - 1910 excavations at Trimontium by James Curle. The reconstruction was carried out by Professor Caroline Wilkinson in 2003. His skeleton was found almost erect with a spearhead by his side. It has been speculated whether he was a Roman soldier or a native, in which case he might have adorned the ramparts as a warning to the enemy, a practice which can be seen in such places as Trajan's column in Rome.
Further DNA analysis of the skull was carried out recently and results will be published soon.
Collection Trimontium Trust
Category Skeletal Remains
Human remains Made/Created
Artist Information Artist Caroline Wilkinson
Role Sculptor
Condition Overall Condition Good
Synton Hoard
Object/Artifact
-
Trimontium M”
https://hub.catalogit.app/trimontium-museum
The
Trimontium Trust &
Museum
https://www.facebook.com/TheTrimontiumTrust?locale=ne_NP
“A man found down a well - these images show the facial reconstruction by Professor Caroline Wilkinson taken from the skull of a man found in one of the pits at Trimontium. He might be a Roman soldier & his skeleton was found almost erect with a spearhead by his side.”
Yorick
“The
name Yorick has been interpreted as an attempt to render a
Scandinavian forename: usually either Eric or Jørg, a form of the
name George.[3] The name Rorik has also been suggested, as Saxo
Grammaticus wrote that this was the grandfather of Amleth, who served
as the inspiration for Hamlet.[4] Alternative suggestions include the
ideas that it may be derived from the Old Norse name of the city of
York (Jórvík),[5] or that it is a near-anagram of the Greek word
Kyrios and thus a reference to the Catholic martyr Edmund
Campion.[6]”
“David Tennant used the cranium of pianist
André Tchaikowsky for Yorick's skull in a 2008 Royal Shakespeare
Company production.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorick
André Tchaikowsky
“Tchaikowsky died of colon cancer at the age of 46 in Oxford.[1][7] In his will he left his body to medical research, and donated his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company, asking that it be used as a prop on stage.[8] Tchaikowsky hoped that his skull would be used for the skull of Yorick in productions of Hamlet.[9] For many years, no actor or director felt comfortable using a real skull in performances, although it was occasionally used in rehearsals. In 2008, the skull was finally held by David Tennant in a series of performances of Hamlet at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.[10]
After the use of Tchaikowsky's skull was revealed in the press, this production of Hamlet moved to the West End and the RSC announced that they would no longer use Tchaikowsky's skull (a spokesman said that it would be "too distracting for the audience").[11] However, this was a deception; in fact, the skull was used throughout the production's West End run, and in a subsequent television adaptation broadcast on BBC2.[12] Director Gregory Doran said, "André Tchaikowsky's skull was a very important part of our production of Hamlet, and despite all the hype about him, he meant a great deal to the company."[12]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Tchaikowsky
