ROMANO-BRITISH RELICS FOUND AT DORCHESTER.' 79 



it should, perhaps, be remarked that about three hundred yards due 

 east from the spot stands the fine and commanding tumulus called 

 Conquer Barrow (the name of which, by the way, seems to be a 

 corruption of some earlier word). On this comparatively level 

 ground we discovered, about three feet below the surface, three 

 human skeletons in separate and distinct graves. Each grave was, 

 as nearly as possible, an ellipse in plan, about 4ft. long and 2Jft. 

 wide, cut vertically into the solid chalk. The remains bore marks 

 of careful interment. In two of the graves, and, I believe, in the 

 third, a body lay on its right side, the knees being drawn up to the 

 chest, and the arms extended straight downwards, so that the 

 hands rested against the ankles. Each body was fitted with, one 

 may almost say, perfect accuracy into the oval hole, the crown of 

 the head touching the maiden chalk at one end and the toes at the 

 other, the tight-fitting situation being strongly suggestive of the 

 chicken in the egg shell. The closest examination failed to detect 

 any enclosure for the remains, and the natural inference was that, 

 save their possible cerements, they were deposited bare in the 

 earth. On the head of one of these, between the top of the 

 forehead and the crown, rested a fibula or clasp of bronze and iron, 

 the front having apparently been gilt. This is, I believe, a some- 

 what unusual position for this kind of fastening, which seemed to 

 have sustained a fillet for the hair. 



In the second grave a similar one was found, but as it was taken 

 away without my knowledge I am unable to give its exact position 

 when unearthed. In the third grave nothing of the sort was 

 discovered after a careful search. 



In the first grave a bottle of white clay, nearly globular, with a 

 handle, stood close to the breast of the skeleton, the interior being 

 stained as if by some dark liquid. The bottle, unfortunately, fell 

 into fragments on attempting to remove it. In the same cavity, 

 touching the shin bones of the occupant, were two urns of the 

 material known as grey ware, and of a design commonly supposed 

 to be characteristic of Roman work of the third or fourth century. 

 It is somewhat remarkable that beside them was half, and only a 



