806 EEPORT — 1891. 



4. On Human Remains from, the Dugglehy ' Howe,' Yorkshire. 

 By J. G. Garson, M.D. 



The description of the exploration of this barrow was communicated at the 

 meeting of the British Association last year by the Rev. E. Maule Cole, M.A., and 

 is published in the reports of the meeting, page 979. 



The barrow is a round one, and consists of a thick outer layer of rough chalk, 

 in which were found several secondary interments, consisting of burnt bones, the 

 bones of horse and deer, some Roman and British pottery, and iron, bone, and 

 flint implements. Below this was a layer of Kimmeridge clay a foot thick, cover- 

 ing over the whole of an inner mound in which the skeletons to be described were 

 found. This inner mound was composed of two layers, an upper one of small 

 chalk grit 4^ feet thick, and an inner one of clay soil in which the skeletons were 

 deposited. The implements found with them were flint flakes and worked flints, 

 the remains of Stis, beaver, Bos longifrons, and fox. No metal of any kind occurred 

 below the layer of Kimmeridge clay. In the centre of the mound was a large pit 

 or grave 9 feet deep and a smaller and shallower one by its side. The large grave 

 contained three skeletons and the skull of a fourth ; over its mouth in the clay were 

 other three skeletons. In the smaller grave was a skeleton, and between the two 

 graves was another skeleton. Above the smaller grave were other two skeletons. 

 The majority of the skeletons were found lying on the side ; in all cases the limbs 

 were drawn up and flexed. The directions in which the bodies had been placed 

 varied. A food vase was found at the bottom of the large grave. 



Several of the skeletons were considerably decayed, others were those of 

 children, so that seven only were available for examination and the skull of an 

 eighth person. Many of the long bones were not preserved, but most of them 

 were measured at the time of excavation. These measurements were submitted by 

 Mr. J. R. Mortimer (under whose direction the exploration of the barrow was 

 conducted) to the author along with such of the long bones of three of the 

 skeletons as had been preserved. From the measurements of the lower limb- 

 bones of these three skeletons and those of the others measured by INIr. Mortimer, 

 the author finds that the average stature of the skeletons is l'667m. estimated 

 from the femur and tibia, and 1-665 m. from the femur alone. The shortest had 

 an indicated stature of 1 '5.55 m. estimated from the femur and tibia, and of 

 1'546 m. from the femur. The taUest was l"9y9 m. estimated from the femur and 

 tibia, and l'890m. from the femur alone. Excluding this very tall skeleton the 

 average of the others is 1-619 m. from the femur and tibia, and 1-642 m. from 

 the femur. The femur of the tall skeleton has been fortunately preserved, and 

 was measured by the author. 



The form of the slrull viewed from above is that of an elongated oval. In 

 most cases the walls appear very straight. The frontal region is narrow, and 

 there is no bulging of the occipital region, the outline being, as a rule, very regular. 

 The muscular ridges are feebly developed, the glabella and superciliary ridges are 

 also feebly developed. The face is generally long and narrow, the orbital axes are 

 depressed externally, the orbits themselves being in form either round, nearly 

 square, or broadened rectangular. The interorbital width is narrow. The lower 

 margins of the nasal openings are sharp. The maxilla are orthognathous and the 

 incisor teeth are vertical. The chin is generally pointed and sharp. The cephalic 

 index of the eight adult skulls varies from 66-5 to 79-6. Five of the specimens are 

 hyperdolichocephalic, one is dolichocephalic, and two are mesaticephalic. The 

 cephalic index of the tall skeleton is 68-8. The other skulls found were those 

 of children, and are consequently not included. These eight specimens include all 

 the adult males found in and about the graves in the centre of the barrow. 



In stature and the characters of the skull these specimens appear in all respects 

 to be identical with the specimens found in long barrows of the dolichocephalic 

 people admitted to be the earliest known inhabitants of Britain, whose skeletons 

 are still available for examination. They are found in the interior of this round • 

 barrow, it will be noted, associated with flint implements only, and with no trace 

 of the metal objects usually foimd in round barrows with brachycephalic skulls, 



