University of Lincoln student uncovers mystery behind 200-year-old bottle of urine

A University of Lincoln student has uncovered the mystery behind a 200-year-old bottle of urine.

Builders discovered a glass bottle during renovation work in Cleethorpes in early 2024. They originally thought it might be rum but upon further inspection, this wasn’t the case.

The contents and origin has now been identified due to the work of a University of Lincoln student who found out the bottle actually contained urine.

In early 2024, Josephine McKenzie, Senior Technician for the University of Lincoln’s Conservation of Cultural Heritage department, received an unusual enquiry regarding the mysterious bottle found in the walls of a property on Cleethorpes’ Seaview Street. Josephine’s department allows students to take on historical objects in need of repair. However, this bottle was new territory for the department. 

Zara Yeates, a third-year undergraduate, accepted the challenge of analysing the bottle and the liquid inside. However, as the owner had requested for the bottle to remain sealed and preserved to prevent further deterioration, Zara had to get creative in her analytical approach.  

via University of Lincoln

She found the bottle must have been made between 1790 and 1840. Its particular shape was introduced in 1790 and its hand-blown nature means it cannot have been made later than 1840, the year bottle moulds debuted.

To determine what the liquid inside the bottle was, Zara carried out x-ray fluorescence tests which revealed the bottle’s contents was likely to be urine. 

Most Read

Molly from Love Is Blind had a past career as an NBA dancer, and the pics are insane

Erm, so Lauren’s ex made his own Love Is Blind headshot and it’s all really bizarre

What happened to Belle Gibson’s boyfriend, son and family after her scam in Apple Cider Vinegar

The bottle is thought to be a “witch bottle” which were placed inside homes to protect against evil. Typically, they contained urine and other items like animal bones. Witch bottles previously found in East Anglia contained plant matter, and the sediment found in the bottom of the bottle appears to match this. It is plausible that East Anglian traditions crossed over the county border into Lincolnshire. 

Speaking about her research, Zara said: “The fact that the bottle still had so much liquid in is really unique and from what we heard the builders who found it on site would quite like to have taken a taste from the bottle. Thankfully the project manager stepped in and stopped them, and it’s a good thing they did given our findings!”

Josephine McKenzie added: “We often get a lot of ceramics, a lot of textiles, but we very rarely get glass especially something like this. Zara’s done amazingly well with figuring out the contents of it and has really exceeded our expectations.”

Catch a glimpse of the bottle at the University of Lincoln’s Conservation of Cultural Heritage final-year show in June 2025. It will then be returned to its owner.

Featured image via University of Lincoln