232 Stonehenge and its Barrows. 



whom American Indians, Esquimaux, Australians, New Zealanders, 

 Feejeeans, and Andaman Islanders may all be named, that the custom 

 which obtained with the ancient Britons was the same as now practised, 

 viz., that of swathing the body more or less closely in skins or cloth, 

 in a posture sometimes described as a sitting one, and sometimes as 

 simply doubled up. When a corpse is thus prepared and deposited, 

 for burial, it is obvious that it must be very uncertain, whether, 

 in filling up the grave, the body shall ultimately lie on the right 

 or the left side; or be somewhat tilted up and left in the sitting or 



squatting posture What may have been, and what 



may still be, the reason* for this practice has been much argued. 

 It must be remembered that death usually leaves the body with the 

 limbs more or less bent and contracted, or in the condition known 

 as rigor mortis. Hencft, in laying out the corpse it is generally 

 needful to employ slight force, in order to extend, and as it is said, 

 compose the limbs. In rude states of society we may readily 

 understand that superstitious feelings may operate so as to prevent 

 any interference with nature, whose apparent indications in such a 

 matter would be likely to be carried further rather than contravened. 

 It may likewise have been the object to inter the dead as much as 

 possible in the same posture, as that which the living were accustomed 

 to occupy when at rest, crouching rather than sitting round the fire 

 or low table, with the elbows on the knees, and the hands resting 



against the cheek According to M. Troyon, this 



doubled-up posture, none other than that of the unborn infant, was 

 imposed on the body of the dead, when about to re-enter the bosom 

 of the universal mother, as the symbol of a belief, not only in a life 

 to come, but likewise in that of the resurrection of the body. The 

 bodies of the Britons of this period, and in this part of the island 

 were, for the most part, deposited in the meridian Hue, with the 

 head to the noi-th, and consequently with a south aspect. This was 

 found to be the general practice by Sir R. Hoare, Mr. Cunnington, 

 and Dr. Thurnam. 



