and its connection with Long Barrows, 49 



was never departed from as regards the blades of javelins and spears, 

 it being the most suitable for the purposes of those weapons; but 

 was, for the most part, replaced by the barbed form for the heads of 

 arrows. When I speak of the leaf-shaped as the long barrow type 

 of arrow-head, I desire not to be understood as restricting it to that 

 form of tumulus, but as indicating it as that which is alone found 

 there.' 



The long barrows are a remarkable class of tumuli, which stand 

 apart from all others. The narrow and elongate (steno- or dolicho- 

 cpphxlic) character of the skulls found in them contrasts strongly 

 with the prevailing broad and short {brachycephalic) form of the 

 skulls from the round barrows. Again, many of the long-barrow 

 skulls are cleft in all directions ; having been shivered, as would 

 appear, by the stroke of a stone axe, wielded perhaps by a sacrificial 

 priest or Druid, in honour of the obsequies of some primeval British, 

 chief. Another feature, derived from the form of the associated flint 

 weapons, may now, I think, be added to the characteristics of a 

 class of tumuli, which there are many reasons for regarding as the 

 oldest sepulchral monuments of this part of Britain.^ 



1 Such a discovery as tliat by Mr. J. R. Mortimer, of leaf-shaped arrow and 

 javelia heads ia a circular barrow oq Bishop "Wilton Wold, in the East Riding 

 of Yorkshire, and which has been described by Dr. J. Barnard Davis in the 

 " Reliquary." (vol. v., p. 185,) and since brought by him under the notice of the 

 Society of Antiquaries, (May 17th, 1866, Proc. Soe. Antiq. 2nd series, iii., 

 p. 323) is by no means inconsistent with the conclusions arrived at in this 

 communication. 



* Since this was written, I have ascertained that the fictile remains in the long 

 barrows are of a quite distinct and peculiar type Pottery of any kind, however, 

 associated with the primary interments, is of very rare occurrence in them. 



VOL. XI. NO. XXXT. 



