EARLY MAN IN SCOTLAND 145 



people of the Bronze Age, the possession of fragrant gums 

 and resins such as are not indigenous to Britain, and which 

 the ancient Caledonians were not at all likely to be in a 

 position to procure. In most instances the contents of these 

 cups were not preserved by the finders. An example, which 

 was discovered in 1857 at Craig Dhu, North Queensferry, 

 covered by a larger urn, and about the size of a teacup, was 

 filled with calcined human bones ; the specimen from Genoch, 

 found a number of years ago by Dr. James Macdonald, of 

 Ayr, contained the burnt bones and ashes of a child in its 

 fifth or sixth year. Of the conflicting theories as to the 

 purpose to which these cups were applied, the view that, like 

 the large urns with which they were associated, they were 

 cinerary, and were intended for the reception of the ashes of 

 an infant or young child, seems the most probable. 



Numerous examples of the variety of urn termed " food 

 vessel " have been found in Scotland, and " drinking cups," 

 although not quite so numerous, are fairly represented. In 

 the 144 localities under analysis the bowl-shaped food urns 

 were found in 3 I, drinking cups in 25, and in seven instances 

 the size and form of the urn is not stated with sufficient pre- 

 cision. With a few exceptions, in which the character of the 

 burial had not been fully described, the urns were contained 

 in short cists, in which also the skeleton of an unburnt body 

 in the bent or contracted position, was lying. In several 

 instances it is stated that the urn, either food or drinking 

 vessel, contained black dust, or earth, or greasy matter, but 

 burnt bones are never said to constitute their contents. Not 

 unfrequently, although this is not an invariable rule, the urn 

 was placed in proximity to the head and raised hands of the 

 skeleton. 



These varieties of urn are by no means invariably present 

 in short cists. In twenty-five localities where this kind of 

 grave was seen, there is no record of either form of urn 

 being present. It is obvious therefore that, though associated 

 with so many inhumation interments, they were not regarded 

 as necessary accompaniments, and they obviously discharged 

 in the minds of the people of the time a different function 

 from that of cinerary urns. The term food-urns applied to 

 the bowl-shaped variety is probably appropriate, as indicating 

 27 C 



