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



45 



The interments of this period .usually consist of one individual 

 each ; less frequently, of a man and wife, or a parent and 

 infant ; and rarely, of more than two adults. It is difficult to 

 understand the occasional instances of several adult skeletons 

 occupying the same cist or grave, unless we suppose that the 

 receptacle was re-opened for later burials. To speculate 

 whether this was the case or no at Megdale would be a mere 

 waste of time. 



All the bones which were recovered have been lent me by 

 Mr. R. Parker, of Buxton, the owner of the property in which 

 the Cawdor Quarries are situated. In condition and outward 

 appearance they exactly agree with barrow bones generally, 

 and thus further prove the pre-historic age of the burial place. 

 They consist of one skull mimis its face bones ; fragments of 

 three other skulls ; two perfect mandibles and one fragment ; 

 portions of three maxilae ; several long bones, and sundry 

 other fragments. 



The most perfect skull (skull A)* is shown on page 44, one- 

 third full size, in the usual norma', and drawn as described 

 in Vol. XII., p. 131. This skull presents, horizontally, a 

 symmetrical oval outline. In the side view, the supraciliary 

 ridges are seen to be bold, the forehead tolerably full, the 

 calvarial vault lofty, and the occiput protuberant. The sides 



* The following measurements and 

 those given in the Journal for other 



indices of this skull accord with 



skulls. Measurements in inches : — 



Measurements from the 



auditory meati — 



Radius to nasal suture ... 3 '84 



Bregmal radius . . . . 4*9 



Parietal radius . . . . 478 



Bregmal arc . . . . 13 "05 



Parietal arc. . . . . . 12 '9 



Cephalic index .. .. 71 '61 



Do. from glabella.. .. 7ri4 



Measurements of face — nasio- 



alveolar line 

 Height of orbit 

 Width of do. 



274 



1-5 

 1.08 



(Other measurements not possible). 



