269 



On Urns and other Antiquities found round the southern 

 skirts of the Cheviot Hills. By James Hardy. Plates 

 V. and VI. 



For the effectual prosecution of inquiries among the pre- 

 historic Antiquities of Northumberland, it is essential that we 

 should possess a summary, so far as it can be constructed, of the 

 remains of the handiworks and artistic ingenuity of the ancient 

 inhabitants, so far as it is represented in sepulchral urns, or 

 domestic vessels, inscribed stones still remaining unrecorded, 

 stone or bronze implements or weapons, or other objects of art 

 and design in their rudest and earliest stages. The need of this 

 was felt by my predecessor Mr Tate, who commenced a descriptive 

 illustrated catalogue of such objects of the primitive ages as had 

 fallen under his cognisance ; and besides those which he has 

 classified in this manuscript essay, there are among his papers 

 several unpublished particulars of researches worthy of preser- 

 vation, as they are believed to be almost the sole record. Since or 

 while he was thus worthily engaged, various new facts have been 

 gradually accumulating ; and Canon Greenwell, by his pains- 

 taking and successful operations, has thrown an unexampled 

 flood of light on the habits of the aborigines of the district. 

 "With accounts of several of these explorations the Club's "Pro- 

 ceedings " has already been enriched, and the remainder form 

 sections of his great work on " British Barrows." 



While deliberating on producing Mr Tate's catalogue entire, 

 such a number of new cases arose, with which he was un- 

 acquainted, along a tract which he had less specially had the 

 opportunity of attending to, not a few of them of quite recent 

 occurrence, that I resolved in the first place to consider these 

 apart. The tract I allude to is that part of the country encircling 

 the south portion of the Cheviot Hills, extending from Lilburn 

 Hill to near Alwinton, and from Henhole on the North, to a 

 line in the south including the parish of Whittingham, and the 

 outskirts of the adjoining parish of Edlingham. Thus limited, 

 sections of the eastern and middle branches of Watling Street 

 will be illustrated, and the line followed will often indicate the 

 passage of these highways among British settlements. Mr 

 Tate's catalogue remains thereby untouched, what I quote in 

 this article is derived from his memoranda ; and only a few of 

 Canon Greenwell's discoveries arc comprehended. At the outset 



