420 Rev. Wm. Greenwell on Two Ancient Interments. 



has been given to this class of sepulchral vessels correctly 

 describes their use, and that they were intended to contain 

 food for the use of the dead, either with a view of serving the 

 spirit of the deceased on his journey to, or after his arrival at, 

 the other world to which he was supposed to have gone. In 

 some few cases a dark-coloured matter has been found at the 

 bottom of these vessels, which was proved, on analysis, to be 

 of animal origin. They are associated both with unburnt 

 and burnt bodies, though they more frequently accompany 

 the former than the latter ; and when they are discovered 

 with burnt bones they never contain them, in this respect 

 differing from the ordinary urns in which bones have been 

 deposited. They vary to a considerable extent in size and 

 shape, and still more so in their ornamentation, though there 

 is a general resemblance in the greater number of them. A 

 frequent form is that which characterizes the specimen from 

 Ilderton, and which is often found to have four or more 

 projections round the shoulder, these being sometimes per- 

 forated. When they are perforated, the object of these 

 projections seems to have been to suspend the vessel by ; 

 though frequently the piercings are so small that it is difficult 

 to understand how anything sufficiently strong to uphold the 

 vessel can have been passed through them. Those with un- 

 perforated projections I should be inclined to think later than 

 those with pierced ears ; when the projections had been kept 

 as an ornament, the primary object, that of use, having 

 passed away. 



On account of the imperfect condition of the Ilderton vase, 

 it is impossible to say certainly whether it has had any of 

 these projections or not ; judging, however, from its general 

 appearance, and on comparison with other vessels, I think 

 it probable that it originally had four of these appendages. 



In conclusion, I would urge upon all our members to make 

 a careful note of the occurrence, with the attendant circum- 

 stances, of any instance of early burial which may fall under 

 their observation, and to lay it before the Club. It happens 

 continually that interments belonging to pre-historic times 

 are discovered accidentally, in ploughing or other agricultural 

 operations ; in some of these cases incidents of intense 

 interest and moment are brought to light, too frequently only 

 to cause a few days' wonder, and then to pass into oblivion 

 for want of some one to record them. 



