132 ROMANO-BRITISH BRICK-KILN, ETC. 



but in those islands, where the rays of the sun can scarcely pene- 

 trate our murky atmosphere, this would be impossible. 



The urns were probably moulded on the spot previous to the 

 interments and semi-baked by a temporary fire. 



The barrow urns are divided into cinerary urns, food vessels, 

 drinking cups, and so-called incense cups. The cinerary urn 

 usually contains calcined bones, is usually only slightly orna- 

 mented, but more so than the smaller vessels, except the drinking- 

 cups. 



The food vessel is supposed to have contained offerings of food, 

 and is only associated with interments by cremation. The 

 incense-cup is small and only found with burnt bones, with which 

 it is usually filled children's probably ! The cinejary urn varies 

 considerably in size, form, and ornamentation. The barrow and 

 the Romano-British pottery possess scarcely anything in common ; 

 the difference is well marked. 



To avoid the danger of cracks and flaws the Dorset British 

 potter mixed his clay with small pieces of chalk or flint. The 

 earliest decorations appear to have been produced by a reed or rush 

 twisted round the urn or pot before being placed in the kiln, when 

 in a soft, plastic state. 



Neolithic man appears to have had no imitative capacity, no 

 instance occurs of any attempt on his part, to delineate a natural 

 object, leaf, flower, or animal, and in this respect he differed from 

 his palaeolithic predecessor, whose artistic powers are exhibited 

 in delineations of the wild animals with which he was associated, 

 on his weapons and implements of chase, &c. The ornamentations 

 on the pottery of neolithic man mainly consist of combinations of 

 straight lines in every variety, perpendicular, parallel, or crossing 

 each other. Occasionally there are dotted markings of different 

 shapes made apparently by finger nails. It is a question whether 

 the urns were especially made for sepulchral use only. The barrows 

 frequently contain a quantity of fragmentary pottery more or less 

 similar to that found in British dwellings, probably sherds of 

 vessels for domestic use. The broken sherd taken from the house 



