George's.

One theory is that they are the bones of two criminals who were hanged and buried in a shallow grave.

The discovery was made in Church Lane by a nearby resident after Corporation of St. George's workmen had dug up part of the road while trenching.

One of those who examined some of the remains was Bermuda National Trust volunteer Mr. Michael Jarvis.

Mr. Jarvis is studying history at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and has been in St. George researching the old town's streets as part of his studies.

He dated the bones back to the early to mid-17th Century.

Some of them belonged to an adolescent, probably in his early teens, and about 4ft 8in tall, he said.

"The workmen's machine destroyed a lot of the bones,'' he added.

It was difficult, however, to give such details about the other bones, found close by.

Mr. Jarvis pointed out an interesting feature of the bodies -- the way they were buried.

"The feet were facing west and heads were facing east, which is the opposite way to what was normal.'' He had a theory to explain this.

"In English Christian beliefs, the Lord supposedly came from the east on the Day of Judgment. When these two people were put in the ground, it was not felt they were going to be saved, which suggests they were felons and criminals.'' Mr. Jarvis believed the two had been hanged at Ordnance Island and then buried in a shallow grave.

At this stage, the National Trust intends leaving the bones in the ground.

It has, hwover, marked the site for future excavations.

BONES BONING UP -- American research student Mr. Michael Jarvis examines some of the bones found in St. George's.