PARISH OF BUTTON BUSCEL. 



359 



a light and porous sandj it could scarcely be expected that any 

 remains of the bones would be left. At a spot 8 ft. south-east 

 of the centre and 4 ft. above the natural surface, a large quantity 

 of burnt earth and charcoal was met with. Two feet south-east 

 of the centre, 4 ft. below the summit^ and 7 ft. above the natural 

 surface, a bronze dagger [fig, 144] and a large and beautifully 

 flaked flint knife [fig. 145] were discovered lying side by side. 

 No remains of bone nor other signs of a burial beyond the two 

 implements just mentioned were found. The same cause — free 

 admission of air and other agencies — as had destroyed all trace 



Fig. 144. §. Fig. 145. ^. 



of the body in the cist will also fully account for the absence of 

 any part of the skeleton in this case. The dagger has originally 

 been about 8 in. long, but has lost some portion of its length by 

 oxidation. It had been deposited enclosed in its wooden sheath, 

 portions of which were still upon it when found ^. The line where 

 the haft — probably of wood or ox-horn — had met the sheath is very 

 apparent ; it is of the semilunar form^ a common one in the handles 



^ Mr. Batemaii records the finding of a similar blade, and says, ' when deposited it 

 had been enclosed in a wooden sheath, the remains of which were very perceptible 

 at the time of its discovery.' Vestiges, p. 90. Sir R. Colt Hoare mentions the 

 occurrence of the remains of the wooden sheath upon several of these instruments. 

 Ancient Wilts, vol. i. pp. 39, 185, 194, 239. 



