94 THE KINMERIDGE COAL MONEY. 



sessing, amongst other medicinal and magical virtues, that of 

 driving away serpents : and it is well known that superstition has 

 often venerated what it has proved to be beneficial. We know 

 not why the Druids made use of sand-stone in preference to any 

 other material; but we find they did so: it is almost invariably 

 present in tumuli of an early date. The same respect or value 

 would seem to attach to the Kimmeridge shale; the kistvaen 

 which Mr. Miles describes, was made of it. One of the most 

 important interments in the Afilington barrow, namely, that of 

 the Mother and child, was covered with a large slab of this ma- 

 terial, in the centre of which was neatly drilled a circular hole. 

 Again, in confirmation of the idea that before the Coal money 

 was cast from the Eoman lathe, long perhaps, before the Eomans 

 landed upon this island, its inhabitants made use of this material 

 in the formation of objects which might have been connected 

 with their native worship, I would refer to the amulet figured at 

 page 46, which was found upon the floor of the barrow, where 

 was also an interment of an early date. 



We must not assume more than we are able to maintain, but 

 we may argue that when we find this material present in 

 sepulchral deposits of a very early date, apparently anterior 

 to the Roman occupation, and then again made use of in 

 sepulchral interments apparently posterior to their occupation, 

 we are not to be surprised, if, when the foreigner had turned it 

 into forms so attractive, so superior to any which native art could 

 produce, we find evidence that in some instances it was carefully 

 packed together as a hidden treasure, and in others, that it was 

 carried away, scattered over the island, and even conveyed into 

 distant counties. 



In the transactions of the Archaeological Association, of the 

 year 1845, is an account of some barrows opened in Derbyshire 

 during that year, which contains the following statement : "We 

 opened a large flat barrow called Net-lowe, upon Alsop Moor. 

 On digging towards the centre, we met with large quantities of 

 rat's bones, small fragments of a coarse urn, and horses teeth. 

 Precisely in the centre was laid at full length, a skeleton, close 

 to whose right arm was a large brass dagger, with thirty rivets, 

 and two pins of the same metal, which had formed the 

 decorations of the handle. Close to this dagger, were two orna- 



