42 NOTES ON A PRE-HISTORIC BURIAL-PLACE AT MEGDALE. 



resting on some soil. . . . The soil for some distance below 

 the bones and the limestone on each side, had a distinct red 

 tinge, quite different from any other soil in any other part 

 of the quarry or the neighbourhood." The space occupied by 

 the bones was about two feet square, and was covered by a 



s u 



peRFlCIAU SOIL. 



large stone weighing about two cwt., which was not fashioned in 

 any way. The superficial soil was of " a peaty character," 

 about eighteen inches thick. When the Doctor saw the bones, 

 " there were portions of four different skulls, together with 

 some of the long bones." 



Burial in natural clefts or fissures in the rock was common 

 among the primitive folk of the Peak. For example, I refer 

 the reader to Mr. Salt's exploration of barrows on Grinlow and 

 Stoop High-edge, near Buxton {Proceedings Soc. Antig. New 

 Series. XV., p. 422, and XVI., p. 262), the only difference 

 being that the graves of these were not covered with slabs 

 of stone, but simply filled and covered with the materials of 

 the mounds. No mound, it is true, was observed at Megdale, 

 but these ancient mounds have often been removed in 

 modern times for the sake of their stone. Such a mound seems 

 to be implied in the newspaper account, which states that the 

 fissure beyond the limits of the grave was filled with large 

 stones, " beheved to have been placed there." If a cairn had 

 been raised over the site, its stones would of course fill the 

 fissure ; and it is likely enough that those who removed it 



