By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 161 



have composed a bracelet. Two groups of celts, or Druidical 

 knives, fifteeu in each group, were also discovered here ; some 

 highly polished and of great beauty, though the greater part were 

 broken in two pieces. But to crown all, several fragments of bone 

 were also found, which, though almost pulverized and in a very 

 decomposed state, were identified by scientific anatomists to whom 

 they were submitted, as undouhtedly human : indeed there were 

 sufiicient portions to indicate pretty clearly that the corpse was 

 laid on a wooden plank at the end of the chamber along the North 

 wall, the head to the East, and the feet towards the West. The 

 accident which led to the discovery of this chamber was as singular 

 as it was happy, for with nothing to guide them, the directors of 

 the excavations pushed their tunnel right up to the very entrance 

 of the chamber, whereas had they gone one point more to the East 

 or West, they would have missed the only entrance to it, if not 

 the cromlech itself. The above particulars I have taken from the 

 Report, drawn up by M. Fouquet, the Secretary of the Soci^te 

 Polj'mathique, and addressed to the Prefet of the district : * and I 

 have the greatest satisfaction in bringing forward this instance, 

 both because my friend, the Rev. W. C. Lukis, chanced to be 

 present soon after the discovery of the sepulchral chamber, and was 

 an ej'e- witness of the particulars T have given above: and also 

 because the fact of the sepulchre being at the side, speaks volumes 

 to my mind with regard to Silbury, accounts for the failure of 

 former investigators, whose whole energies were directed towards 

 the centre, and suggests that it is no cenotaph, but still contains 

 one or more tombs, to reward the perseverance of future excavators. 

 From Britany I pass through North Germanj^, remarking on 

 the numerous bai-rows of various form and height which abound 

 there, and are denominated " Kegelgraber," conical graves/ whose 

 sepulchral object has never been called in question ; but which, as 

 they do not rival Silbury in bulk, I will not adduce in support of 



' Rapport sur la decouverte d'une Grotte Sepulcrale dans la butte de Tumiac 

 le 21 Juillet 1853, adresse a Monsieur le Preftit du Morbihan, an nom de la 

 Societe Polymathique par le Secretaire de cette Societe le \" Aoilt 18o3. 



* Archaeological Journal, xii., 387. 



VOL. VII. — NO, XX. Q 



