184 ANCIENT BRITISH URNS. 



known than those of the two other kinds already mentioned, and 

 are more widely distributed throughout this country. These vary 

 much in size, in modification of form, and in modes of ornamenta- 

 tion, yet are reducible, as I think, to one and the same principle of 

 classification, as I will endeavour to shew before I conclude this 

 paper. 



In' a very charming little volume written and published by the 

 late Edward T. Stevens, F.S.A., of Salisbury, entitled, " Jottings 

 on some Objects of Interest in the Stonehenge Excursion of the 

 Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society," on August 

 24, 1876, two years only before the author's lamented decease, a 

 deplorable loss to archasological science, he, on p. 179, speaks of 

 " barrel-shaped " urns, which, it is said, " although rather common 

 in the barrows of Dorset, are rare in those of Wiltshire ; only one 

 from a barrow within a third of a mile from Stonehenge is figured 

 by Sir E. C. Hoare. It is the largest obtained by him entire, and 

 measures over 22in. in height" [and 15in. in diameter of mouth].* 

 These dimensions, however, have been exceeded by those of an urn 

 found at Bishopstone in 1867, now in the Blackmore Museum : 

 " The largest hitherto found in Wiltshire, ' barrel-shaped,' and 

 measures over 24 inches in height." (P. 177.) Unquestionably, 

 it is a noble specimen of cinerary urn, but why Dr. Thurman should 

 have classified it as " barrel-shaped " is not so obvious. Strictly 

 speaking it is not at all of that form ; conoidal would, I think, 

 have been a more appropriate designation. Urns partaking of this 

 character are certainly very well known in Dorset, whilst a true 

 " barrel-shaped " one would be rarer than any other form known 

 here. | By the kindness of my friend, Mr. Moule, our excellent 



* There is a figure of this urn of conoidal form in a Pamphlet by Sir R. 

 C. Hoare giving an index to his discoveries in the Barrows of Wiltshire, 

 with plates of the different kinds of Tumuli. This Pamphlet is become 

 very scarce. Shaftesbury : Rutter, 1829. 



t There are two examples of this bi-conoidal type in the Dorset Museum ; 

 they are small urns, but well marked specimens of this rare form ; one 

 in Mr. Cunnington's collection from Little Puddle, the other in the 

 Warne collection. 



