146 YOEKSHIEE. EAST RIDING. 



the skull was an oval hole, north and south, 5 ft. by 3J ft., and 

 2% ft. deep, containing nothing- beyond earth and chalk, the 

 materials of which the barrow was formed. At the centre were 

 two holes, 11 ft. apart, lying in a direction north-east and south- 

 west ; one was 5 ft. long and 3 J ft. wide, the other 4| ft. long and 

 3 ft. wide, both being 2^ ft. deep, and having their long diameter 

 north-west by south-east. Like the first-mentioned hole, they 

 contained nothing except earth and chalk. 



VII. The first of the three barrows opened by Messrs. Porter and 

 Monkman was 60 ft. in diameter, and had been ploughed down 

 to a height of not more than 1J ft. About 18 ft. from the east 

 side of the mound, and laid upon the natural surface, was found a 

 large deposit of broken human bones, the remains of not less than 

 eight bodies, as was proved by the presence of portions of as many 

 different skulls. All these, together with some animal bones J , were 

 scattered about in the greatest confusion, and, in the opinion of the 

 explorers, had been deposited so originally. It is of course possible 

 they might be the remains of bodies which had been disturbed by 

 the insertion of secondary interments and re-buried ; still, if this 

 had been the case, we should scarcely have expected to meet with so 

 many bodies ; nor indeed did the examination of the barrow show 

 that there had been any disturbance sufficiently extensive to 

 occasion the removal of so many as eight previously buried bodies.. 

 At the centre of the barrow and upon the natural surface there was 

 a large quantity of dark-coloured and perfectly plain pottery, the 

 remains of many different vessels which had, it was evident, been 

 placed there in the fragmentary condition in which they were 

 found. They were spread over an area of about 6ft. square. A 

 few pieces of a human skull were also met with close to the centre. 

 To the north, south-east, and south-west of the centre were three 

 holes, marking the angles of a triangle; they were sunk IJft. 

 below the surface, and contained nothing in addition to the chalk 

 which had been dug out in sinking them. Close to the north hole 

 was the skull of a pig, some other animal bones, and a round flint 

 scraper. West of the centre was the body of a young woman, from 

 20 to 25 years of age, laid in a slight depression of the surface, on 

 the left side, with the hands up to the face. The head was protected 

 by two large blocks of flint, placed roof-fashion over it. Near the 



1 The bones are of one goat or sheep, and of three pigs. 



