KEPOKT ON BONES FKOM HARLYN BAY. 169 



is a low average ; it is even a trifle below that of the Eoniano- 

 Britons of Eotherle}^, and that of the only one of the old 

 Warbarrow neolithians whose clavicle has been preserved, viz. 

 138 mm. In all these cases there would probably be a deficiency 

 in breadth of shoulder ; but it must be confessed that the basis 

 for averaging is rather a small one. 



The method of interment is curious and interesting. It is 

 found largely in East Central Europe, apjDarently at divers 

 epochs ; and Zaborowski, who has studied it, affirms its frequent 

 use in Switzerland among the long-headed neolithic people, before 

 the bronze-using folk introduced cremation. But here we are 

 certainly in the late Keltic, one may say post-cremation, period. 

 The presence or near neighbourhood of the slaty rock, which 

 afforded these slabs, may have had much to do with the survival 

 of the practice. I leave the subject of posture to Mr. lago and 

 Mr. Baring-Gould, who had the best opportunity of studying it ; 

 and I wish to confine my attention to the bones themselves. 



It is somewhat disappointing that out of so large a number 

 of disinterments we have so few skulls that are at all measureable. 

 The dry sand that preserved them j)robably also lent assistance 

 to the perishing of the animal matter contained, and thus left 

 them exceedingly brittle. We have, however, enough wherefi'om 

 to draw some conclusions. 



I have ascertained the cranial index of breadth in thirteen 

 crania and calvaria. Of these one belonged to a child, and was 

 rather broader (79-7) than those of the adults, with one exception, 

 the male one now in the Plymouth museum. Another, apparently 

 female, gave me an index of 63'63 ; but I have np hesitation in 

 ascribing this extreme narrowness to posthumous distortion from 

 superincumbent pressure. We have now ten remaining dolicho-, 

 or mesokephals, with an average index of 74 '49, and one 

 brachykephal of 82*22. The ten range from 70 to 78'61,* 5 being 

 dolicho and 5 mesokephalic. There are several other skulls 

 which may, I hope, be put together, one or two of which 

 may further help us in forming an opinion as to the facial types. 

 One among them gives me the impression of belonging to a 

 brachykephal, but certainly the tribal form was dolichokephalic, 



* Or perhaps a little less. See Notes on the skulls. 



