8 BARROW-DIGGING AT MARTINSTOWN. 



side, was picketed off round the barrow, enclosing an area of 

 about o'6 of an acre, the plan (Plate I.) being plotted to a scale 

 of 144 to i, in other words 12 feet to an inch.* The contours 

 of i foot vertical height show the shape of the barrow and its 

 immediate surroundings within the " square." The highest 

 contour, of course, comes on the summit of the barrow ; the 

 lowest on the western side of the plan, showing a fall of 14 feet 

 from top to lowest part in the " square." 



Excavation into the Barrow. As will be seen by the plan, a 

 cutting 6 feet wide was made through the barrow, nearly on the 

 line of the true north and south f ; and in the centre a cross- 

 cutting was dug, to an extent of 13 feet on both sides of the 

 main cutting, from the central picket. Until the completion of 

 the excavation down to the undisturbed chalk (or to about that 

 level) in all parts of the cutting, a pillar was left in the "centre" 

 from which tape measurements could be made. This pillar, 

 which is well shown in the general photographic view of the 

 barrow, was afterwards removed, when no longer of service as a 

 " fixed point " for measuring purposes. 



This photograph, taken from the N.N.E., Plate II., not 

 only gives an excellent idea of the excavation-operations in 

 progress, but also distinctly shows the internal structure of 

 the barrow. A mound of almost pure mould or turf was 

 first thrown over the interments, measuring about 61 feet in 

 diameter, and 8 feet in height.j This was surmounted and 

 entirely covered by chalk rubble (i.e., pieces of chalk mixed with 

 flints and a little mould, which is clearly shown in the sectional 

 diagram). Finally, turf began to form, and a certain amount of 



* The surveying instruments were kindly lent by Capt. Acland and Mr. G. J. 

 Hunt. We also received help in many other ways from Dr. Colley March, 

 F.S.A., the Rev. S. J. F. Kent, and Mr. W. de C. Prideaux. 



t The north point could only be included on the plan after the commencement 

 of the cutting, as our prismatic compass was out of order at the beginning of the 

 operations. 



\ The cairn of flints covered by this mound will be mentioned in speaking of 

 the interments. 



