50 CINERARY URNS AND INCENSE CUPS, STANTON MOOR. 



three,* and were more than their neighbours devoted to the 

 ceremonial, whatever it may have been, in which the "incense 

 cup " was used ? 



Another peculiarity is worth noticing : I do not know whether 

 it has been observed elsewhere. In both the Stanton and 

 the Eyam districts the cremation burials are associated with 

 small barrows, and it is very doubtful whether a mound was 

 always thrown up over the grave. Our present case is one to the 

 point ; and in the above examples of former "finds," there is no 

 mention of mounds in two instances. On tlie other hand, small 

 circles of earth and standing stones are, or rather were, extremely 

 common. Many still remain, as the well-known " Nine Ladies " 

 on Stanton Moor, the " Nine Stones " on Hartle Moor, and 

 several large ones on Eyam and Offerton Moors; but more have 

 been destroyed in recent times. Half a century ago, no less 

 than thirteen could be counted on Eyam Moor and six on 

 that of Stanton. The ring or circle, then, seems to have 

 had an important place in the mysticism of these ancient 

 cremationists. 



Since the above went to the press, Mr. Heathcote has 

 forwarded the second " incense cup." It is quite different, 

 both in material and shape, from the first-mentioned, being 

 cut out of a very fine sandstone, and somewhat gobular in 

 shape ; that is, so far as I can judge, for all the upper 

 part and the lower portion of the bottom are bioken away. 

 It is about three inches in diameter. The outer surface is 

 smoothed or polished, and it shows near the base two 

 shallow, discontinued grooves, one on each side. The inner 

 surface is scratched, indicating that the cavity was scraped 

 out with some pointed instrument, perhaps a flint-flake. The 

 grooves are clearly not decorative ; they are suggestive of a 

 cord. Stone vessels are very rarely found in this part of 

 the country, although they are common in Ireland and the 



* It is probable that the two urns recently found so near together formed 

 part of a trio. 



