442 On British Cists found at Galashiels, by James Wood. 



which, competent judges pronounced to be those of females 

 of about 16 years of age. One jaw-bone was found but there 

 were no skulls in either of the graves. 



The four stones already alluded to were discovered not far 

 from the edge of the circle, at a distance of five feet from each 

 other, and entirely covered with earth. They measured from 3 

 to 4 feet in length, and one, the largest, had been halved to sup- 

 ply a stone to the number ; two only were standing upright, the 

 others lay almost prostrate. 



The knoll where these stones were found was about 10 feet in 

 height and 30 feet in diameter, and the soil consisted of horizontal 

 layers of earth, loose stones and beds of sand. It used to be a 

 favourite haunt of the boys and girls of Galashiels of sixty years 

 ago, and was known at that time by the name of " The Little 

 Aiken Knock," probably because the trees planted on it were all 

 oaks. In a field adjacent to Gala Park there is a much larger 

 knoll, called at this time "The Aiken Knock," but the trees 

 there are not now, if they ever were, exclusively oaks. 



The paucity of ancient British remains hitherto discovered in 

 this neighbourhood has often been matter of surprise to archaeolo- 

 gists, as the vicinity of the Oatrail, the Eink, and other British 

 Camps, as well as traces of their dwellings near Mossilee Hill 

 point to a large population. We know, however, that these 

 people were in the habit of burying their dead on the surface of 

 the ground, and then heaping over them large quantities of earth 

 and stones, sometimes indeed to an immense size ; and as they 

 would find in the numerous moraines of the locality mounds 

 ready to their hand, may they not have availed themselves of 

 these, as they in the present instance have done of a bank or heap 

 of water-drifted sand and gravel ? 



Fragments of Bone found in the Cists in Gala Park : — 

 CIST No. I. 



1 . External condyle and part of trochlear surface of the humerus. 



It has belonged to a young person— say about 1 6 years of age. 



2. Left superior portion of the sacrum, bearing the articular 



surface for the left pelvic bone. 



CIST No. II. 



1. Left coronoid process of lower jaw. 



2. Portion of the shaft of the left humerus. Its small size would 



seem to indicate that it belonged to a female. 



