ON RAINS CAVK, LONGCLIFFE, DERBYSHIRE. 163 



systematic excavation of 1889-91, very few exhibited any signs 

 of lying m anatomical relationship; indeed, only one set of bones 

 could be said to have undoubtedly shown this. They were those 

 of a skeleton uncovered on March 22nd, 1890, in the central region 

 and partly in the Refuse Layer. The bones of the lower parts of the 

 trunk and those of the legs were easily followed up, but those of 

 the upper parts were confused and lost in the general maze of human 

 and animal bones. An upper and lower jaw, an atlas, a radius 

 and many ribs were found where they were expected, bui 

 no trace of the rest of the skull and the arm-bones. Still, enough 

 remained to show that the corpse had been laid in the usual 

 barrow attitude, i.e., on its side (in this case, the left) with the 

 knees drawn up, the head being towards the entrance of the cave 

 The tibiae of this skeleton, like all others found in the cave 

 exhibited the peculiar flattening known as platycnemism, said to 

 be due to the free play of the muscles when the feet are 

 untrammelled with rigid soles or sandals. 



As already stated, the human remains were by no means evenly 

 diffused. The portions of the cave where they were most prolific 

 were the central region near the back, and, as just indicated, the 

 nght-hand region a little more forward-the chief part excavated 

 in 1888. Those of the former region were most numerous in or 

 near the Refuse Layer ; those of the latter were more evenlv dis- 

 nbuted. and apparently (to judge from the large quantity found 

 m X888) were most numerous near the surface. A considerable 

 theh r/pK r '°"" ^"" ^^^° '"°""^ '" 'h^ -^" -ve at 



ournlf ^X : '^ '''' °"^ '"^"'^^^ °"P^^^ ^4r in the last 

 Journal Fhis chamber, it was noticed, was almost filled up to 



he roof with stones, which obviously had slipped down from the 

 front or large cave ; and there is no doubt that the bones found 



heir way thither in the same manner, there being no evidence 

 that It ever was used as a burying place. When graves were 

 dug in the front cave, it would be an impossibility to prevent 

 much of the removed ,3ns rolling down the slope inL this 

 c amber and part of this .e^ns would consist of the bones of 

 earner interments. 



