PARISH OP KIRK WHELPINGTON. 433 



Very near to Tosson, and placed between two rocks, two bronze 

 leaf-shaped swords were found, together with three rings of the 

 same metal (probably used in fastening the sword to a belt), and 

 two pommels of sword-handles made of lead. On the opposite side 

 of the Coquet, but rather lower down the valley, another bronze 

 sword and two bronze rings were discovered in some works under- 

 taken by Sir W. G. Armstrong, F.R.S., at Cragside. I possess a 

 ' drinking cup ' found in a cist at Old Rothbury; and I have heard 

 of other sepulchral vessels and some stone implements having been 

 met with in the neighbourhood. 



PARISH OF KIRK WHELPINGTON. Ord. Map. cv. N.W. 



CCX. I opened a barrow at a place called ' The Fawns ' in this 

 parish. It was 39 ft. in diameter, 3 ft. high, and was made of 

 stones and earth. Ten feet south-south-west of the centre was a 

 hollow, 14 in. in diameter and sunk 18 in. below the natural surface, 

 which contained the remains of the burnt body of an adult, the 

 cremation of which had taken place on the spot ; amongst the 

 bones was a piece of calcined flint. One foot and a-half west of 

 this was an urn inverted over a flat stone placed on the natural 

 surface, and containing the burnt bones of a very young child. 

 The urn did not seem to have been entire when it was placed in 

 the mound, the whole rim having been broken off. Upon the 

 under side of the flat stone on which the urn rested a pit-marking 

 is engraved, the tool-marks being as fresh as if made only yesterday. 

 It is one of those figures which have already been frequently 

 referred to, and this is another instance where they have been found 

 in connection with burials after cremation. The centre of the 

 barrow had been disturbed, though not as far down as the natural 

 surface, by the insertion of a rubbing-post for cattle on the top of 

 it, and to this is probably due the destruction of a cinerary urn, 

 which had once contained a burnt body; portions of the rim of 

 the urn and some burnt bones having been found at that place. 

 There was however no other burial at the centre, either on the 

 natural surface or sunk below it. 



CCXI. At Catcherside, in the same parish, I examined a small 

 cairn, which was 29 ft. in diameter, and only 1| ft. high, many 

 of the stones composing it having been removed to build a 

 neighbouring wall. It had a certain amount of earth in its 



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