March 3, 1870] 
NATURE 
461 
The monuments to which we refer are the huge grave- 
mounds known as Long Barrows, and chiefly occurring 
in Wiltshire and the adjoining counties. 
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Only the first part of Dr. Thurnam’s memoir has as yet | 
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been published—that, namely, relating specially to the 
Long Barrows ; but this part is of sufficient importance 
to demand separate notice at our hands, 
The chief result of the examination of the Ancient 
British barrows of the south-west of England is their 
division into two great classes—(1) the Long Barrows, the 
primary interments of which have yielded implements of 
stone and bone only, and which are, therefore, contidently 
assigned to the Stone Age; and (2) the Round Barrows, 
affording implements of bronze as well as of stone, and 
occasionally, though rarely, of iron. The round barrows 
vary considerably in form, and Dr. Thurnam thinks that 
these variations are not to be attributed to the individual 
The immense size of the mounds of the South Wilts and 
Dorsetshire long barrows, and the imposing stone struc- 
tures of those of North Wilts, Gloucestershire, and 
Somersetshire, would alone be sufficient, notwithstanding 
the rude character of the implements contained in them, 
to lead one to conclude that we have here the graves of 
the chieftains of the primitive people of these districts. 
The situations chosen for the grave-mounds, and the 
evidence, hereafter to be alluded to, of the immolation of 
slaves, and perhaps wives and children, seem strongly 
to confirm this supposition. 
It will be convenient in the remainder of our notice to 
treat separately of the unchambered and chambered bar- 
rows; that arrangement having been followed in the memoir 
in the “ Archzeologia.” The following is Dr. Thurnam’s 
account of the external form of the simple or unchambered 
barrows :—‘The long barrows are for the most part 
Fig. 3.—Drinxine Cup witH SeconpAry INTERMENT. Vigheldean, Long Barrow (scale } linear) 
fancy of the builders. 
of round barrow—the bowl-shaped, the bell-shaped, and 
the disc-shaped ; each of these three having again its 
three modifications. The long barrows are of two kinds 
—the simple barrows of South Wilts and Dorset, consist- 
ing merely of earth, chalk, and flints ; and the barrows of 
North Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somersetshire, con- 
taining chambers or cists built of large stones. 
Wiltshire is, ar excellence, the county of long barrows, 
one district consisting of about 150 square miles, con- 
taining, on an average, one of these huge mounds in 
every six miles. The distribution of these monuments is a 
point of great interest. Unlike the round barrows, which 
usually occur in clusters, they are almost without exception 
solitary—generally two or three miles apart—and situated 
in some prominent position, usually the highest points of 
the hills, commanding extensive views over the downs. 
He recognises three primary forms | 
immense mounds, varying in size from one or two hundred 
to three and even nearly four hundred feet in length, from 
thirty to fifty feet in breadth or upwards, and from three 
to ten or even twelve feet in elevation. (See Fig. 1.) 
Along each side of the whole length of the tumulus is a 
somewhat deep and wide trench or ditch, from which 
trenches no doubt a great part, or sometimes even the 
whole, of the material of the mound was dug, but which 
it is very remarkable are not continued round the ends of 
the barrow. .... In by far the greater proportion ot 
long barrows the mound is placed east and west, or nearly 
so, with the east end somewhat higher and broader than 
the other. Under this more prominent and elevated 
extremity the sepulchral deposit is usually found at or 
near the natural level of the ground.” The great infre- 
quency of manufactured objects in these barrows and 
their rude character is very remarkable. Some “delicate 
