102 On Ancient Interments, by James Hardy. 



It was at tlie east end that they commenced their operations. 

 They had not gone far into the cairn proper, till they came to a 

 small square cist, placed near the level of the original surface. 

 The cist was formed of red sandstone slabs, which are native to 

 the district, and inside the cist was an Urn. The slabs contain- 

 ing it were very carefully arranged, the top slab or cover being 

 a few inches above the urn, so as not to press upon it. Ee- 

 moving one of the side slabs first, the urn appeared quite entire. 

 The urn was placed like a flower pot upside down, and when 

 lifted was found to cover icinerated bones and ashes. Of these 

 the urn was quite full. A most ludicrous remark was made by 

 one of the men at this stage : *' Here's a' richt noo," he said, 

 "there's the grey-beard." They had not been over-careful 

 with the " grey-beard," for during its removal part came away, 

 exposing the ashes of the dead, bones, etc. Not being carefully 

 looked after, the urn got smashed into fragments, most of which 

 were subsequently collected. "Within about a foot they came 

 upon another cist. This was about four feet long, and contained 

 a few pieces of a cranium. [The remains of a spine are also 

 mentioned, possibly found here. It is evident that a grave four 

 feet long would not be constructed for the skull alone.] This 

 cist was built entirely of white sandstone, which could not have 

 been got in the neighbourhood. The slabs in neither case were 

 large. Mr Marjoribanks, whose report, in two separate letters 

 here combined, I chiefly follow, says : ''Both this cist and the 

 urn-box (if I may so caU it) lay north and south, not east and 

 west as graves are made now." Both were reckoned by the on- 

 lookers to be one interment, but I believe there were two burials 

 here, and not only so, but that they may have belonged to very 

 distinct periods, one of them being intrusive. The remains of 

 bones were reckoned to be those of a fuU grown man. Along 

 with one or other, I cannot ascertain which, a small flint-knife 

 and miniature whet-stone were obtained ; most likely with the 

 cranium. 



The earthen-ware urn was of large capacity, and stood up- 

 wards of 12 inches high ; being broken, the diameter across the 

 mouth could not be ascertained. Its general design was a very 

 large sub -triangular vessel, moulded into three divisions. The 

 upper and widest was 2^ inches high, and projected all round 

 above the next division, from which it was separated by a 



