Discovery of Ancient Q raves. 361 



had no tools or permission, and it began to rain heavy, 

 so I had to beat a retreat." (Extract from Mr Wilson's 

 letter.) 



The result of the renewed visit is contained in the fol- 

 lowing extract from the Saddington Advertiser^ 27th April 

 1894. 



Stone Coffin Unearthed. — Three weeks ago, while Mr 

 Wilson of Bolton Schoolhouse was examining the whinstone 

 dyke which traverses the northern part of the parish of 

 Gladsmuir from east to west, he observed a red sandstone 

 slab, with a shorter transverse slab of the same material, 

 protruding above the whinstone, at a part of the dyke 

 called Solomon's Tower — a wooded knoll standing on the east 

 side of Eedcoll farm steading. On Saturday a small party 

 excavated the place, and exposed a fine example of a cist- 

 vaen, which, however, contained neither urn, implements of 

 war, nor ornaments — nothing but a few of the lumbar and 

 leg bones, and two or three cockle shells. The whole of 

 the bones were too fragmentary to be of use for anatomical 

 comparison. The cist lay due east and west, and was formed 

 of three short slabs on the south side, two on the north, 

 and transverse ones at the head and foot. The four covering 

 stones — one of which had previously fallen over the edge of 

 the whinstone ridge — overlapped each other, and the flooring 

 was the levelled surface of the dyke. Its extreme outside 

 measurement was 82 inches, while the breadth at the west 

 end, where had lain the head, was 27 inches, and at the 

 foot 21 inches; the depth was 13 inches. In the neighbour- 

 hood of Setonhill and Longniddry, such stone coffins are 

 frequently turned up by the plough ; but, unfortunately, few 

 people have time or inclination to make a minute investi- 

 gation of such remains. It might, however, be the means 

 of elucidating some of the intricate problems of the past, if 

 greater precautions were taken when such are come across, 

 whereby the antiquary might determine the race who con- 

 structed these rude graves. 



[I examined one of the Shells furnished by Mr Wilson, 

 and it was Cardium edule, the Common Cockle. — J.H.] 



VV 



