PARISH OF CROSBY GAERETT. 387 



except in having a series of notches along- both edges. It appeared 

 to have been a long time in use, for it was much worn, and seemed 

 as though it had originally been made for a larger arm than 

 that on which it was found, for the ends overlapped in a way which 

 showed that they had not originally been intended to do so. 



Most of the cairns have been opened, with what results I know 

 not, but some remained more or less intact. 



CLXXIII. The first I examined was situated on the verge of a 

 lower escarpment of the limestone overlooking Ravenstonedale, and 

 was a very enigmatical burial mound, inasmuch as no undisturbed 

 body was found within it. It was 36 ft. in diameter, 4 ft. high, and 

 was formed principally of limestone with some sandstone blocks 

 intermixed. At the centre, and only one foot below the apex of the 

 cairn, was a burnt body, undoubtedly that of an Angle, as is 

 shown by the iron knife, buckle, shears, and bridle-bit which 

 accompanied the interment. The bones are those of a boy or girl 

 about the age of puberty, and judging from some of the articles 

 found with the body it was probably that of a boy. It might have 

 been supposed that the introduction of this body into an already- 

 existing mound had caused the fragmentary condition of the bones 

 to be presently described, had not the cairn presented the most evident 

 signs of never having been disturbed since the time when it was 

 first thrown up, except at the place where the burnt bones were 

 met with. The limestone flags were placed in the most regular 

 order, overlapping each other, commencing from some laid quite 

 flat at the centre and upon the natural surface of the ground. Such 

 a disposition as this could scarcely have occurred if the cairn had 

 ever been meddled with except very superficially. 



At a distance of 10| ft. from the centre to south -west-by-west of 

 it, and a foot below the surface of the mound, were some broken 

 and disjointed bones of a man in middle life and others of an older 

 and more feebly made person. One foot further to the south-west, 

 and at a level about 9 in. lower, were some other broken bones 

 belonging to two bodies, principally those of an adult man ; whilst 

 immediately west of these last was another similar deposit. Four 

 feet six inches south-east of the centre, and about 2| ft. below the 

 surface of the cairn, was still another deposit of broken and frag- 

 mentary bones ; and 6 ft. west of the centre, and about the same 

 level as the last, were some pieces of the lower jaw of a very aged 



c c 2 



level 



