868 ON THE PEOPLE OF THE LONG-BARROW PERIOD. 



The plan employed for burning bodies in the cremation long 

 barrows examined by me, with the help of Canon Greenwell, as also 

 in others examined by him previously and independently, was that 

 of packing the bodies — whether fresh or dried, whether still in con- 

 tinuity, or disarticulated, along the central axis of the barrow — 

 together with wood and stones. The combustible and transpirable 

 mass thus formed reaches half, or much less than half, the entire 

 length of the barrow. It was bounded and supported on either side 

 by the lateral masses of the barrow, in which, in some barrows, 

 a system of flues for favouring draught appears to have been pro- 

 vided by the mode adopted for arranging the large stones of which 

 they were made up, and which, in other barrows, appear to have 

 been made up of turfs which would serve as non-conductors by 

 abutting upon the central combustible strip. In the barrow near 

 Market Weighton the turfs must have been arched over the central 

 strip, thereby greatly favouring calcination, as in a kiln, whilst 

 externally they were supported by lines of stone rubble, which kept 

 them in place. This short description is sufficient, perhaps, to 

 convince the reader of what examinations, lasting many days, 

 convinced the writer was the case — viz. that whatever was done in 

 a cremation barrow with more or few skeletons, was done at one 

 time, once and for all. 



There have been three theories put forward to account for the 

 facts observed as to the human remains found in long barrows. 

 The first of these may be called the Successive Interments Theory. 

 It is expounded by Professor Nillson 1 , who, however, deals only 

 with non-cremation, galleried tumuli. Now the very raison d'etre 

 of a gallery is the facilitation of successive interments; but the 

 construction of a cremation barrow is incompatible with such an 

 object. The second of these theories may be called the Ossuary 

 Theory; and this, though combated by Professor Nillson, is not 

 incompatible with his own theory, and, indeed, as regards cham- 

 bered barrows, ought to have that theory combined with it. There 

 is much evidence in its favour, as regards every variety of long 

 barrow. 



The third theory may be called the Human Sacrifice Theory, 

 for which much evidence may be adduced from the practices of 



1 L.c. pp. 167, 168. 



