SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ABERDEEN. 61 



15 inches in thickness. The cover stone is remarkable for its great 

 size and weight (Plate VIII.). 



On removal of the cover stone the position of the contents of the 

 cist was carefully noted, it being necessary to remove a layer of fine 

 surface soil which covered the floor to a depth of about 3 inches. The 

 longer axis of the cist lies north-east and south-west. At the south- 

 west end of the cist are very much crumbled pieces of skull bones 

 and teeth, indicating the position of the head ; towards the east corner 

 lie the remains of bones of the feet and some pieces of leg bones, 

 while some indications of vertebra? lie near the north-west wall. 

 Although the bones are much crumbled and decayed, there is 

 sufficient evidence to show that the skeleton lay doubled up on its 

 right side with the skull to the south-west end of the cist, and facing 

 south-east. From behind the skull near the north-west wall of the 

 cist was recovered a flint knife. The contents of the cist were now 

 carefully removed, all soil being passed through a fine riddle, but 

 beyond numerous small pieces of charcoal nothing further was 

 recovered. 



The floor of the cist is composed of a thin layer of yellow clay, 

 covering the gravelly subsoil, and dotted over this layer of clay are 

 flat water-worn stones of a fairly uniform size of about 3 inches by 2 

 inches. The inside measurements of the cist are 4 feet 4 inches in 

 length, 27 inches at the greatest breadth, 23 inches at the south-west 

 end and 24 inches at the north-east end, so that it is somewhat 

 narrowed at either end. The depth averages 18 inches. The south- 

 west end of the cist consists of a slab of gneiss averaging about 6 

 inches in thickness ; the south-east side consists of two slabs set on 

 edge, one larger one of granite measuring 27 inches in length and a 

 smaller one of gneiss, this latter is not of sufficient height to reach 

 the top of the cist, but is filled in over the top by a flat stone about 

 3 inches in thickness ; the north-west side is also made up of two 

 slabs, one larger one of granite measuring 36 inches in length, and 

 a smaller one of gneiss. On the top of this rests also a flat stone 

 about 3 inches in thickness to bring it up to the height of the 



