Mr Wood's Description of the contents of a Tumulus. 219 



ment. The flat stone forming the upper half of the back of this 

 cell, was perforated at its lower edge, with a semicircular aper- 

 ture (jo), three inches and a half in diameter, which communi- 

 cated with a passage about a foot square, covered partly with 

 a flat stone (O), and partly open. One side of this passage was 

 formed by a large stone (P) ; the other side was formed by the 

 wall built at the back of the cell. The semicircular part marked 

 in the plan with dots, (^....ooo) being in a very ruinous state, 

 could not be examined accurately, but there has been some 

 building at this part. 



The whole of the inside of the building was filled with black 

 earth, ashes, burnt roots of heath, and burnt stones ; two or 

 three pieces of straw were found imbedded in lumps of ashes. 

 An iron nail was found at the fire-place; — it may have fallen 

 from the opening at the top of the vent at a more recent period, 

 but it was imbedded in a solid lump of ashes. Several bones 

 were found at the fire-place, also imbedded in ashes ; among 

 them were vertebrae, ribs, and leg-bones of domestic animals, 

 part of the under jaw of a hog, and many teeth. There Avere 

 no human bones. 



The cell Q was filled to the level of the floor of the principal 

 apartment with rounded unburnt stones ; a deer''s horn, and two 

 leg-bones of some of the lower animals were found, about half 

 way down among these stones. There was also, in this cell, a 

 considerable quantity of black, unctuous earth, very wet, and 

 of a fetid odour. The horn was soaked with water, and could 

 not be lifted entire. Above the level of the floor, this cell was 

 filled with burnt stones, &c. as in the rest of the building. 



Such is the account of what was seen. I do not hazard even a 

 conjecture as to the use of this relic of antiquity. The building, 

 I consider to be of an older date than its covering, which ap- 

 pears to have been thrown over it at a more recent period, but 

 still ages ago, for some particular purpose, which, with the use 

 of the building itself, I fear, will for ever remain unknown, 



Island or Sanday, ^ 

 2,^th June 1824. / 



