138 DR ROBERT MUNRO ON PREHISTORIC KITCHEN-MIDDENS. 
troverted problems, often ranging over the entire field of 
human civilisation. From the scientific stand-point Pre- 
historic archeology is therefore a most difficult study. 
There is, however, one thing which makes it fascinating 
to all its votaries, and that is, the human element which 
permeates all its methods and materials. Moreover, like 
many other outdoor pursuits which have fresh discoveries 
as their goal, it has its incidents, episodes, and disappoint- 
ments—according to the success or failure of the day’s 
operations. Indeed, persons who have never taken part 
in the excavation of a prehistoric site can hardly realise 
the pleasurable excitement called forth by this kind of 
work. Each turn of the spade is watched with absorbing 
attention, and every inch of the stuff is pulverised and 
scanned for objects showing traces of the hand of man. 
Nor are scenic charms of the country to be dissociated 
from the inherent interest of these explorations, for, as a 
rule, prehistoric man in selecting a home had an eye to 
the more romantic regions. But, notwithstanding all these 
attractions, antiquarian literature is regarded by many as 
dry and uninteresting, and even the antiquary himself is 
still often looked upon as a Dr Dryasdust. The cause 
of this unprogressiveness among the Scottish people may 
be traced partly to ignorance of the improved methods of 
research now in use, and partly to Sir Walter Scott, whose 
amusing descriptions of the antiquarian dilettantism prevalent 
in his day have still a prejudicial influence on public taste. 
But whatever may be its true explanation, there can be 
no doubt that the principles of scientific archeology have 
not yet taken a deep hold on the minds of even the more 
cultured and literary members of the community. Indeed, 
I have a shrewd suspicion that, had the author of The 
Antiquary lived at the present time, he would have found 
as much reason to satirise the methods of some of our 
present-day antiquaries, as he had when he penned the 
crushing retort of Edie Ochiltree to Monkbarns’ Roman 
speculations on the Kaim of Kinprunes—* Pretorium here, 
pretorium there, I mind the biggin o’t.” 
