ROUND BARROW AT MELCOMBE BINGHAM. 79 



inside the stone tumulus, within the inner ditch. The burials 

 outside the inner ditch were possibly much more recent. 



No. I. and No. IV. MAN AND URN. Consequently the 

 finding of a bronze implement in the urn, over the inner ditch, 

 in no way dates the age of the barrow. 



The skeletons, &c., which had been exhumed, were sent by 

 Major Ashburnham to Dr. Arthur Keith, of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons, for inspection. The following interesting 

 extracts from his reply give the results of his examination : 



Let us take the clearly -settled matters. Interment III. is so definite. 

 The complete skeleton of a powerfully -built man, between 5' 10" and 

 5' II" in stature, with great joints and powerful muscles, and a head 

 shaped in the manner of the typical Bronze-age, round-barrow, men 

 brachycephalic. Age about 45 55. He had no wisdom teeth 

 never had them in either upper or lower jaw uncommon even in 

 modern Britishers. It is clear that the primary interment had never 

 been disturbed, for the skeleton is nearly complete indeed is complete 

 excepting for the parts which have become eaten away by the soil. 



Now, AS TO INTERMENT I. The whole skeleton is represented, and I 

 don't think the grave could ever have been disturbed. The skeleton 

 in No I. interment is that of a woman, 45 55 years of age, about 

 5' 1* or 5" 2", in height ; and her skull, although imperfect, has the 

 characters of the brachycephalic Bronze -age people. She was a 

 strongly made person and muscular. 



No. II. INTERMENT. You remember that there was a fall on the West 

 side of the trench, and bones of No. I. Interment fell down to the site 

 where No. II. was subsequently found. There was some mixing of the 

 bones from the two sites. You also remember that what was described 

 as part of the skeleton of a child was found with Interment II. I will 

 deal with that " child's " skeleton first. It represents a cremation, so 

 badly or imperfectly done that one can recognise large fragments from 

 different parts of the body which tell us beyond doubt that the person 

 cremated was an adult woman a diminutive, delicately made, slender 

 little thing well under 5 feet in height, and not aged ; adult, but young. 



Then there is the main Interment of No. II. Also a woman, lost 

 all her molar or chewing teeth from disease. Probably aged. The 

 skull had been broken, or fallen to pieces, long ago, for the fractured 

 surfaces were weathered. She had a big capacious pelvis, and suffered 

 from severe rheumatoid arthritis of the spine and joints generally. 

 She had the squatting facets uncommonly well marked, buttock-heel 

 squatting. Fairly strongly built, probably a worker, although collar- 



