1 8 BARROW-DIGGING AT MARTINSTOWN. 



the vertebral column, however, being fairly straight. The legs 

 were drawn up to very acute angles at the knees, especially in 

 the case of the right leg. The depth from the surface of the 

 barrow, vertically, to the bottom of the grave under the feet of 

 the skeleton was 12-4 feet. Between the skull and knees the 

 food-vessel, represented in PI. IV., Fig. 31, was found, with the 

 left arm resting across one side of the rim and the right arm 

 underneath the vessel. Although the pot was cracked by the 

 weight of the superincumbent chalk and flints, it was removed 

 from the grave in a fairly complete state. The handle, in which 

 the chief interest centres on account of its rarity, was not lost 

 during the removal of the food-vessel, but was evidently deficient 

 at the time of interment. This is made clear (i) from the fact 

 that the stumps of the handle did not present clean fractures, 

 and (2) because, after considerable search, the missing portions 

 were not discovered. 



This rare form of food-vessel is well worthy of a full descrip- 

 tion. It holds 71 fluid ounces. The photograph (PI. IV., 

 Fig- 3 l \ represents it at a scale of linear. The exterior 

 diameter at rim averages 7^ inches (it is not quite circular) ; 

 height, 4! inches ; maximum thickness of sides round rim, 

 f inch. The sides are almost vertical from the rim to 2 inches 

 below it, from which point to the base the vessel gradually 

 lessens in diameter, being 4^ inches at the bottom. 



With regard to the decoration, the pot is divided into three 

 sections horizontally, each section being separated by a pair of 

 continuous lines of oblong punch-marks conjoined. These 

 lines are very irregular and broken in places, and average J inch 

 apart. Each of the two upper sections is ornamented by three 

 rows of lozenge-shaped punch-marks. The lines are closer 

 together in the upper section, and individually the indentations 

 are closer together than in the section below. The length of 

 the lozenges averages 8*5 mm., and the width 5^5 mm. The 

 lower section is undecorated. The small remaining portion of 

 the handle bears distinct traces of having been ornamented in 

 the same manner as the body of the vessel. The top of the 



