38 ON THE TUMULI OF ST. ADHELM'S HEAD DISTRICT, 



the east angle fonned by these two stones, was a skull, belonging 

 to a skeleton lying at right angles to the one already mentioned, 

 and protected by large stones. In the opposite angle, and lying 

 parallel with, and close to, the division wall first named, was a 

 skeleton, apparently that of a woman ; but with these remains I did 

 not notice any skull. I here found a green glass bead, in form, 

 merely a drop of ghiss pierced through. Upon the breast of 

 this skeleton, was a small urn, lying on its side, but crushed 

 by the stones which were packed over it, (fig. 1,) measuring in 

 diameter at the top, six inches. It was not sufficiently perfect 

 to enable me to measure correctly its height; but this was 

 probably about six inches. It presented the appearance, as 

 regards its fabrication, usual in British urns. It has a row of 

 projecting knobs a little below the rim of the mouth, and is 

 without any scored or impressed ornament. At right angles to 

 this skeleton was another, with the feet towards the south, lying 

 on its side. The skull was a very large one. I was unable to 

 trace this to the feet. The whole of these interments were placed 

 upon a bed of stones of various sizes, packed together without 

 any earth, to the depth of four feet; making seven feet from the 

 top of the barrow, and about three feet beneath the level of the 

 surrounding soil. 



Judging by the date of three of the coins mentioned above, we 

 cannot attribute the formation of this barrow to an earlier period 

 than the latter part of the third century, and consequently place 

 it amongst the class which are denominated Romano-British. 

 From the circumstance, however, of the upper portion having so 

 many pieces of broken pottery indiscriminately mixed with 

 the earth and stones, it appears probable that an older barrow 

 had been destroyed, for the purpose of more recent biu-ials. 

 There is another barrow at a short distance across the ravine, 

 which is reported to have been opened many years ago, and urns 

 discovered in it. A third is situated upon Emmet's hill, a great 

 part of which has fallen down the cliff; and a fourth was 

 opened and levelled some years since, near Kenscombe farm, 

 in which pottery was also found. 



In the month of October, 1855, I was present at the examin- 

 ation of a barrow, situated in a pasture called Bottom Cowleaze, 

 which is about a quarter of a mile south of Afflington Barn, upon 

 the Swanage and Kingston road. It was of that class which 



