36 ON THE TUMULI OF ST. ADHELM'S HEAD DISTRICT. 



pieces, of about the measure of two quarts ; it contained nothing 

 but the same fine mould that covered the skeleton. Near the 

 neck of the latter were found many of the roimd stones I have 

 before mentioned, but of different sizes, from that of a pigeon's egg 

 down to that of a pea. They were not perforated. The substance 

 of the barrow, as high as the site of the body, was formed of 

 flints and stones ; into which a shaft was sunk to a considerable 

 depth, but without finding any thing worth notice. A third 

 barrow, that was opened soon after, contained no less than five 

 distinct skeletons. Three of them were in a row, lying on their 

 backs : two of these appeared to be of the common size ; but that 

 in the middle was a small one. The two others were at the dis- 

 tance of a few feet from those of the ordinary size, with the head 

 qf one lying on the breast of the other. Each of the skeletons 

 had an urn upon it, but so perished, that, upon being touched, 

 they fell to pieces. Under the head of one of the three that lay 

 in a row, was found a small earthen urn, about the size of the 

 bowl of an ordinary wine glass. This urn was of the same shape 

 with the rest which were found, namely, that of a truncated 

 cone, and was about two inches high, and one in diameter; it 

 was nicely covered with the sheU of a limpet, but quite empty: 

 the broken pieces of urn were ornamented, by being rudely 

 indented in a zigzag fashion. The five skeletons were not all 

 exactly on the same level in the barrow, which appeared to be 

 a family sepulchre ; but the two last mentioned seem to have 

 been deposited in the side of the barrow, without taking it to 

 pieces. Five or six other barrows, in the same neighbourhood, 

 were afterwards opened ; but the contents of all were nearly the 

 same. One of them, about a hundred and fifty feet in circum- 

 ference, and ten in perpendicular height, inclosed a rude vault, 

 or kist-vaen, formed with unhewn stones, surrounding an lu-n 

 capable of holding about two gallons, and full of burnt 

 human bones, being covered at the top with a thin flat stone. 

 The urn in question was composed of a coarse black clay, of the 

 shape above described, and did not seem either to have been 

 turned in a lathe, or burnt in a kiln, but merely hardened by 

 fire, or the heat of the sun. Of the same substance and form 

 were all the other urns discovered in the neighbourhood : some, 

 however, stood upright, and others were found inverted." Mr. 

 Milner concluded these barrows to be of British origin. 



