44 REMINISCENCES OF 



margin of Gristhorpe Cliff, overhanging the sea at 

 Gristhorpe Bay, a few miles to the south of Scar- 

 borough. On July loth or nth, 1834, this tumulus 

 was opened by W. Beswick, Esq., the owner of the 

 property on which it was located. He was accom- 

 panied by a few friends, of whom my father was 

 one. Its contents proved to be of the utmost 

 interest. The first object which presented itself to 

 the eyes of the excavators was the trunk of a large 

 oak tree laid horizontally at about six feet from the 

 surface of the ground. On using proper tackle for 

 raising this object, only the upper part of it came 

 away, leaving the lower portion embedded in clay. 

 It now became evident this was the trunk of an 

 oak tree, split lengthwise, and retaining its bark, 

 which, after having been cut down, had been hol- 

 lowed, converting it into a rude coffin. During 

 his long career as archaeologist, Sir Richard Colt 

 Hoare had met with only one similar example in 

 Great Britain, though such coffins are more fre- 

 quently found in the Scandinavian districts, especi- 

 ally in South Jutland ; and others like it were subse- 

 quently met with in our own country. Most if not 

 all of these tree interments appear to have belonged 

 to the Bronze Age. The coffin was half filled with 

 water. The embedded portion was now taken up, and 

 its contents carefully removed. The entire collection 

 of objects, coffin included, was ultimately transferred 

 to the Scarborough Museum, to which institution 



