1 82 Mr. G. Payne. 



France,* to which the student should refer. Leaden "ossuaria" 

 are of rare occurence. Our acquaintance with this mode of 

 sepulture has recently been added to by important discoveries 

 made upon the premises of Messrs. Tylor, in Newgate Street, 

 where two or three of these curious cists were brought to light, 

 each enclosing a glass cinerary vase of great beauty. They 

 may be seen in the Anglo-Roman room at the British Museum, 

 The amphora tomb next claims our attention ; it consists of a 

 large earthenware amphora, or wine vessel, in which was 

 deposited a glass vase, containing the calcined bones, accom- 

 panied by vases and other articles. The neck of the amphora 

 was broken off to admit of the funereal vessels being placed 

 inside. Such interments have been met with at Colchester, 

 Lockham Wood, near Maidstone, Buckland, near Dover, and 

 elsewhere. 



During the past year, my friend, the Rev. F. T. Vine, vicar 

 of Patricksbourne, Kent, opened three barrows in Gorsley 

 Wood, near Bridge, on the property of the ]Marquis Conyng- 

 ham, revealing a stone cist in the centre of each mound, of the 

 following dimensions. 



INTERIOR. 



Cist A) 

 and -Length 4-ft., Breadth 2-ft. 6-in., Depth 2-ft. 6-in. 



Cist b) 



Cist C. — Length 3-ft., Breadth 2-ft. 3-in., Depth 3-ft. 



These cists were formed with six slabs of sandstone, i.e., 

 four for the sides, one for the base, and one as a capstone, the 

 side stones were neatly joggled together, the insides of the 

 cists having been carefully tooled. The slabs measured from 

 five to II inches in thickness. 



Cist A contained a few ashes ; on the capstone a human 

 skull was found. 



Cist B contained pieces of charred bone, a piece of a bronze 

 ornament, and fragments of thin glass. 



Cist C contained a quantity of bones, which appeared to 

 have been partially burnt, a fragment of bronze and fine glass. 



The skilful manner in which the cists were fitted, the pre- 

 sence of glass inside them, together with the numerous Roman 

 tiles and fragments of pottery around them is sufficient 

 evidence to warrant these interesting monuments being 

 assigned to the Romano-British period. Mr. Roach Smith, 

 who visited the spot with me, suggested that the graves might 

 be those of British chiefs, erected at an early period of the 

 Roman occupation. In all probability similar interments 



* Collectanea Antiqua, Vols, iii and vii. 



