412 NORTHUMBERLAND. 



PARISH OF CHATTON. Ord. Map. ex. S.E. 



About two miles higher up the valley of the Till than the site of 

 the interment just described, but on the other (left) bank of the 

 river, is a remarkable assemblage of early remains, consisting of 

 a very interesting example of a fortified place crowning the hill 

 called Whitsun Bank, several series of sculptured rock -markings, 

 and sundry barrows. These last, to the number of six, were opened 

 by me, the examination proving that most of them had been 

 previously disturbed, although enough remained to show the nature 

 of the burials they had contained. 



CXC. One, composed of sandy soil, was 15 ft. in diameter and 

 2 ft. high. It had at the centre (the bottom being on the level of 

 the ground) a cist lying north-east and south-west, made of five 

 stones set on edge and covered with two other slabs ; it was 3 ft. 

 long, 2 ft. 8 in. wide, 1^ ft. deep, and was filled with fine white 

 sand. It had been rifled on some former occasion, though the cist 

 had not been cleared out, and had once no doubt contained an un- 

 burnt body the bones of which had gone entirely to decay. 



CXCI. A second was 16 ft. in diameter, 3 ft. high, and made up 

 of earth and stones, having a circle of larger stones set round the 

 base. At the centre, upon the ground-level, was a cist lying east 

 and west, and made of five side stones with a cover. It had been 

 previously opened, but had originally held a burnt body, the 

 remains of which were found scattered about, both inside and out- 

 side the cist. 



CXCII. One barrow of very small size proved however to have 

 been left untouched. It was 8 ft. in diameter, about 10 in. high, 

 and was made of earth, with a few stones placed upon the top. 

 Just above the natural surface, at the centre, was a flat stone 

 having another underneath it, which proved to be the cover of a 

 small cist, 14 in. square and 10 in. deep, sunk into the ground and 

 formed with four sandstone slabs set on edge. The lower portion 

 of the cist was filled to a depth of 3J in. with sand, upon which 

 were earth and small water-rolled pebbles ; and amongst these were 

 the bones of the burnt body of a person in middle life, accompanied 

 by a portion of a lozenge-shaped piece of flint, possibly part of an 

 arrow-point, that had been passed through the fire. 



