ON THE AGE OF STONE CIRCLES. 433 



circle. It was discovered on August 16, but as Mr. Henry Balfour was 

 expected to visit the diggings next morning/ the men were directed to 

 cover it up. Next morning the skeleton was uncovered and cleared in 

 order that it might be photographed in situ. It was an extended inter- 

 ment, the skull loeing at a depth of only 36 cm. from the surface. The 

 skull, which was much crushed and weathered, was found on removal to 

 be in forty to fifty pieces ; some of the facial portions and sides had 

 unfortunately decayed, so that its restoration could not be made quite 

 complete ; the lower jaw was not present. Other parts of the skeleton 

 were missing, including the condyles of the femora, the tibiae and fibulfe, 

 one patella, the feet, and hands. The end of the left femur came close 

 to the south-east corner of Stone No. III. The skeleton, which was 

 buried in pure mould, lay on the back, with the face turned slightly t(t 

 north east, and was surrounded by large blocks of stone built up on the 

 south, west, and north sides to within a few centimetres of the surface ; the 

 ends of all the long bones were much decayed, the head was to the south- 

 south-east ; the bearing along vertebral column was 164^° S. ; the length 

 from the top of skull to the lower end of femora was 1™-19. 



The approximate length of the left femur is about 453 mm., which 

 gives a stature (by Rollet's method) of l™-66. This is above the average 

 of a Stone Age man, and below that of a Bronze Age man.^ The skull 

 has been restored as far as possible, and turns out to be mesati- 

 cephalic, or medium-headed, with a cephalic index of about 78'0 ; 

 so that this interment appears to be of later date than the construction 

 of Arbor Low, but how much later it is difficult to say, no relics having 

 been found vnth the skeleton. Dr. Garson will no doubt make a report 

 on the skull ; and as the meatus auditorius is present on both sides, and 

 the basion also, the majority of the usual measurements can be taken. 



At 77"^'80 to the east south-east of the centre of the monument is 

 a small tumulus which appears to have been reduced in height owing to 

 agriculture. As this may probably be connected with Arbor Low it has 

 been surveyed to a scale of 120 to 1, with contours of 6 cm. vertical 

 height. A cutting was commenced on the north ; but as mould was 

 found to extend down to a depth of l'"-68 in places, and it promised to 

 be rather a large undertaking when funds were nearly exhausted, the 

 work had to be relinquished, at any rate for the present. One flake was 

 found near the surface. 



Dr. Brushfield's opinion, expressed two years ago, as regards the 

 probable age of Arbor Low was that the monument belonged to the 

 Early Neolithic Age. Judging from the nature of the relics already 

 discovered and their positions, there is some reason for referring it to at 

 least some part of the Neolithic period ; but the evidence deduced can 

 scarcely be regarded as conclusive, and we can hardly consider the 

 problem as to the date of constructioii decisively solved as yet. Neither 

 has the original position of the central group of stones been determined. 

 One thing, however, is certain, that Arbor Low has been used as a place 

 of sepulture. 



' Mr. A. L. Lewis visited the excavations on August 9, and Dr. Garson on 

 August 22. 



'' The secondary interments, Romano-British, in Wor Barrow (Stone Age), 

 Handley Down, Dorset, averaged l^GSl in stature. 



1901. FF 



