ON THE PEOPLE OF THE LONG-BARKOW PERIOD. 373 



I will now commence a detailed account of the examination of 

 three long barrows, situated near the village of Nether, or 

 Lower Swell, near Stow-on-the-Wold, in the county of Gloucester. 

 Three persons, the Rev. David Royce, Canon Greenwell, and 

 myself, were concerned in their examination. A large part of the 

 investigation of the barrow first explored, and hereinafter spoken of 

 as Swell i., was superintended by Mr. Royce alone, in the years 

 1867 and 1868; and to his report of what he observed in it I am 

 greatly indebted for much of what relates to its structure. To his 

 zeal and intelligence, exercised for a period of no less than eight 

 years, we owe the preservation not only of valuable records of facts, 

 but of many osteological and other relics which might otherwise 

 have been scattered and lost. To Canon GreenwelFs suggestions 

 and advice, as well as to his very efficient help in other ways, and 

 notably in the examination of the third barrow (Swell vii.) *, at 



(p. 622) a translation from « Les Bardes Bretons,' relating to the death of Kendelann, 

 puts in italics the following words : — 'Son squelette se~che encore au coin dufeu.' And 

 in commenting upon them he says : — ' Est-ce a dire que les Bretons eussent conserve" 

 jusqu'alors le vieil usage, decrit par Strabon, de faire desse'cher les os de leurs 

 parents et de les garder dans un coffre au coin du feu domestique?' I have not 

 succeeded in verifying this quotation, which appears to have exceedingly important 

 bearings on the subject of ossuaries, or at least upon that of the practice of keeping 

 the dead body accessible for some time after death, a proceeding which terminates 

 usually in its removal to an ossuary. 



The following references to statements as to the use of ossuaries in ancient and 

 modern times may be found useful : — 



Phineas Fletcher, 'Eclogues,' p. 10, ed. 1771, i2mo. 



G. Turberville, in 'Hakluyt's Voyages,' vol. i. p. 433, ed. 1809. 



Falkner cit. Cunningham, ' Nat. Hist. Straits of Magellan,' pp. 146, 147. 



Lukis, ' Archaeol. Journal,' 1 845, vol. i. 



Anderson, 'Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot.,' May 13, 1872, p. 526. 



Nillson, 'Early Inhabitants of Scandinavia,' ed. Lubbock, pp. 162, 163. 



Grey, * Journals in North- West and Western Australia,' i. 257, 1841. 



Eyre, 'Journals in Central Australia,' ii. p. 344, 1845. 



Finlayson's 'Mission to Siam,' p. 235, 1826. 



M. Boye, ' Proceedings of Soc. Ant. Lond.,' ii. ser. iii. p. 310. 



* Schoolcraft,' i. 80, 102. 



D. Wilson, 'Prehistoric Man,' 1865, p. 488. 



Musters, 'Journal Anthrop. Inst.,' Lond., i. 2, Oct. 187 1, p. 201. 



M c Donald, Ibid., p. 214. 



M c Donald, Ibid., ii. 2, Oct. 1872, p. 176. 



Lubbock, 'Prehistoric Times,' ed. 1872, p. 269. 



Wood, 'Cruise in South Seas,' p. 115, 1875. _ 



1 The three barrows have been numbered Swell i, Swell vi, Swell vn; the 

 numbers intervening between i. and vi. having been assigned to other barrows not 

 treated of here. 



