Ixiv. 



PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



east side of the cave. The earth and stones around the skeleton, 

 which appeared to form a kind of sepulchre, as well as several 

 flint-chips, had traces of fire, which had partly calcined the 

 lime of the breccia on which it reposed. A conical block 

 of crystal, the point of which was broken, lay under the right 

 hand of the skeleton, which might have been a weapon or an 

 insignia of dignity. It was lying on its left side, the face supported 

 by the left hand, the lower jaw was displaced from the skull. 

 The forearm and right hand were lying across the breast, It had 

 the appearance of peaceful repose, as if death had overtaken the 

 man in his sleep. This appears to have been the position of 

 most of these southern prehistoric intei-ments. The skeletons of 

 the neolithic age in our barrows and earthworks are often in a 

 crouching position — that is the head and knees are on the same 

 level, which is the usual sleeping position of the North American 

 Indians of the present day. It helps to maintain the warmth of 

 the body better than when extended. The extended position of 

 these Italian neolithic people indicated that they lived in a less 

 rigorous climate. The height of this prehistoric savage was 

 about 6ft. 6in. 



An ancient lake-village was discovered last year near Glastonbury 

 by Mr. Arthur Bulleid. The site had been an ancient shallow-lake 

 or morass upon which a colony of the former inhabitants of this 

 district had settled. It consists of a number of low mounds, about 

 2ft. in height and from 20ft. to 30ft. in diameter. One 3ft. 6in. 

 deep, was composed of layers of clay, charcoal, ashes, and 

 timber, resting upon wooden piles laid close together, still retaining 

 the bark. Each of the dwellings contains a fire-hearth of stone- 

 slabs laid upon a bed of clay ; occasionally there were two, and 

 even three, placed one over the other, owing, perhaps, to the 

 sinking of the floor-bed. Mr. Boyd Dawkins considers the date of 

 this lake dwelling to be close to the dividing line between the 

 prehistoric archseology of these islands and history. The 

 inhabitants of the village were spinners and weavers ; they used 

 whorls of stone and earthenware, heavy stone loom-weights to keep 



