The creepy Scottish 'miniature coffins' discovered almost 200 years ago

dailyrecord.co.uk:

If you are at all familiar with Edinburgh, you will know that it is famous for its supernatural tales and legends. From its dark history as a site where hundreds of innocent people were executed after being accused of witchcraft, to the many ghosts that are said to haunt its historic closes, there is seemingly no end to the sinister goings on that have taken place in the city over the centuries.One of the lesser known — and creepiest — of these was the discovery of a strange cache of miniature coffins on the slopes of Arthur's Seat by a group of boys in 1836.

For almost 200 years, the origin and purpose of the 17 strange figures have remained a mystery. The spooky abandoned Scottish seminary that has been empty for over 30 years According to the National Museum of Scotland website, when the boys discovered the tiny coffins in a recess in a rock, they were arranged under slates in three tiers: two tiers of eight and one solitary coffin on the top.Each of the 95 millimetre-long coffins contained a small wooden figure that was carved and dressed in custom-made clothes, which had been stitched and glued around them.At the time, there were many rumours and theories about the dolls.

These ranged from satanic rituals to ancient customs, while others believed they were left as a tribute to sailors who were lost at sea.One of the more popular and supported theories involves the infamous Burke and Hare murders in Edinburgh.

Over a period of 10 months in 1828, the two murdered at least 16 victims and sold their bodies to anatomist Robert Knox for use in his anatomy school in Surgeons Square.