HOUSES. 203 



In several places these pits are associated in such considerable 

 numbers as to give the idea of a village ; such are the Killing 

 Pits, on the gritstone hill, less than one mile south of Goadland 

 Chapel ; the pits round Rosebury Topping, the Glaizedale group, 

 and many others. But the most instructive in this respect are 

 those which have been described by Dr. Young* on Danby 

 Moor, between Danby Beacon and Wapley. Here the pits are 

 in two parallel lines, bounded externally by banks, and divided 

 internally by an open space like a street. A stream divides the 

 settlement into two parts. There are no walls at the end of the 

 streets. In the most westerly part is a circular walled space 35 

 feet in diameter. Some f druidical remains' occur in this part : 

 to the north are several tall stones, and 100 paces to the south 

 are three large tumuli about 70 feet in diameter and 100 feet 

 apart. East of these tumuli is a large mound, with a fossa round 

 it above the base, a form which seems not to be sepulchral, but 

 to be often expressed by the word ' Rath/ 



A second type, and not the least singular, of these foundations of 

 huts, was observed south of the village of Skipwith, near Riccall, 

 S. E. of York. These were oval or circular rings slightly excavated 

 in the heathy surface, on the drier parts of the common, the space 

 within which was a little raised by the throwing inward of the ex- 

 cavated earth. On digging into this area marks of fire were found 

 sometimes specially towards one end but no trace of bones 

 or burial. They were concluded to be the foundation-lines of 

 huts ; enclosed for the most part by single or double mounds 

 and ditches, which had a relation to the most elevated point of 

 the common, a dry surface apparently suited for residence and 

 capable of some defence. Tumuli of various magnitudes are 

 here seen in considerable numbers, and they yielded to inspec- 

 tion burnt bones and carbonized wood, but except one rather 

 dubious flint arrow-head, no other trace of man or his works. 

 The tumuli were remarkable as being set in a square fossa, the 

 sides of which pointed north and south and east and west. 

 * Hist, of Whitby, vol. ii. p. 673. 



