160 THE TUMULI OF THE CHALK RANGE. 



well formed broad handle, a circumstance extremely unusual, if 

 not unique in British Pottery. It is of finer and harder texture 

 than the cinerary urns, and burnt red both inside and out. The 

 bottom however was much decomposed. 



This skeleton occupied a space of three feet, by one foot nine 

 inches in diameter. The knees were a short distance apart, and 

 the heels close to the pelvis. There were flint stones carefully 

 set aroimd the skull for protection, and the like care had been 

 observed around the body. The thigh bone measured in length 

 eighteen and a half inches, which gives to the man an average 

 height of about six feet four inches. There is one other circum- 

 stance in this burial to which I wish especially to call attention, 

 namely, of the back having been intentionally broken. The 

 vertebral column, though bent in a curve, lay undisturbed, 

 with one exception, where by pressure from the outside, which 

 must have taken place before the burial, two vertebrse are so 

 separated that their inner edges gape apart to the extent of two and 

 a half inches, whilst the outer touch each other. I almost hesi- 

 tate to hazard an opinion respecting this funeral custom, for 

 such I deem it to have been, of the race of people who raised 

 these memorials to their dead. The back may have been broken 

 to facilitate the deposition of the body in an arch ; but for that 

 purpose I think it would not have been necessary. 



The chalk range is here divided by a ravine, through which 

 passes the road leading to Studland, on the west side of which a 

 valley, running at a right angle to it, splits the hill ; hence its name 

 of Forked down. At the head of this valley are two low bar- 

 rows, one of which, from time immemorial, has been known as 

 the Giant's grave, ^ probably on account of its oblong shape, 

 for uo tradition exists of the origin of its name. In the year 

 1851, I dug into them, but without discovering any reliques. 

 On the northern fork of the down are the remains of a once large 

 barrow ; upon examination I found it to have been of the same 

 character as those already described. I suspect that it had been 

 opened by Mr. Miles, for I find at the eighth page of his descrip- 

 tion of " the Deverel barrow" this note : " I explored" he says, 

 " a small barrow between Studland and Swanage, in the Isle of 



» An oblong encloBure is in Ireland, popularly termed " a Giant's 

 grave." 



