240 ABORIGINAL GRAVE IN THE DARLING RIVER DISTRICT, 



marked by a large number of " stones " of the B type, arranged 

 in a circle about three feet in diameter. I photographed the grave 

 from two positions before disturbing it (Plate xiii.). 



The "stones" were originally, in all probability, at least two 

 deep, i.e., there was an inner circle with an outer in close contact. 

 They were placed on end, with the more pointed ends sloping 

 slightly inwards. On proceeding to dig, we found that there 

 were more "stones" below arranged like those on the surface. 

 It appeared as if a mound had been originally made over the 

 grave, and the " stones " placed or built up around it. On the 

 east side there were in all three tiers, one above the other, the 

 upper ends of the outer overlapping the lower ends of the inner. 

 We found a skeleton about four feet from the surface, and 

 situated to one side (the east side) of the circle above. I am 

 unable to say whether this is accidental or by design. 



I have seen a number of aboriginal graves, and in no case have 

 I ever seen the body placed as this one w^as. The trunk 

 was on its back, with the head turned to one side (the 

 east). The arms were drawn up, one on either side of the head. 

 The legs slanted upwards, so that the feet came within eighteen 

 inches of the surface, and they were crossed about the knees. 

 The body had been evidently enclosed in some vegetable covering, 

 but the material was so decomposed— almost carbonised in places 

 — that it was impossible to make out its original composition 

 with certainty. However, it looked like the bark of some small 

 tree, such as mulga or leopard-wood. 



As already noted, the skeleton was placed slightly to one side 

 (the east) of a vertical line from the centre of the circle of 

 "stones" above, and it should be noted that at the arc of the 

 •circle towards the east, and corresponding with the position of 

 the head of the skeleton, the "stones" were three deep. Mr. 

 Croddard tells me that in the graves he has seen, the circle of 

 " stones " was always placed over the head of the corpse. 



The total number of " stones " on the grave I have described 

 was thirty-nine, and there is considerable difference in size 

 iimong them. Some seem to have lost much of their original 



