On some Pre-historic Antiquities. By Dr Hardy. 393 



III. — British Cist on Redheugh Farm, near Oldcambus. 

 (Parish of Cockburnspath.) 



The outermost field of Eedheugh farm, at its north-west 

 extremity, lies along the high sea-banks near Siccar* Point, 

 and forms the eastern terminus of Oldcambus dean. The 

 surface is mostly sloping, but there is a flatter space next the 

 sea-bank ; the slope descending to the drain (now covered 

 up) of the waters of the dean, and then to Oldcambus burn, 

 into which the drain issues. Originally, the depression at the 

 base of the slope had been a swamp, but the slope itself is 

 dry. Between the top space and the slope is interposed, 

 running W. and E., an undulating belt of rounded gravel and 

 boulder clay, enclosing heavy transported boulders ; possibly 

 an ancient moraine incorporating the gravel and rolled stones 

 of a glacial river or lake shore. This belt has always been 

 impenetrable to the plough, and as nothing will grow on it, 

 (the whole field, according to the old people, was covered with 

 broom) it deforms, by its barren red patches, the cultured 

 aspect of the field. Early in February 1893, an attempt was 

 made to break it up and extract the large stones, which were 

 the main obstacle to the ploughshare penetrating it. During 

 tlie operation, besides the rolled blocks, quite a large number 

 of heavy sandstone flags, described as not unlike a dike bottom, 

 but probably they were the remains of ancient slab graves, for 

 in previous attempts these had been dislodged (see Club's 

 Proceedings, xi., p. 161); and accordingly, on 6th February, 

 a square grave space, bounded with sandstone slabs, was laid 

 bare. It was covered by two large sandstone slabs, derived from 

 the adjacent sea-shore, which had been chipped and dressed 

 round the margins to adapt them to fit on. The Cist contained 

 a skeleton, which, on being exposed, crumbled to fragments. 



The corresponding bank on the southern side of the 

 dean, where also two slab graves had formerly been found, 

 is not so high as that on the north. It has a thinner 



* Siccar, pronounced Saecar, is from the A.S. See, the sea, and Carr, 

 a rock. There is another example of the retention of the A.S. 

 pronunciation of sea in the word Landsaebank, applied to a grassy- 

 bank where the land slopes down to the sea-side to the east of the 

 Redheugh shore — the land — sea-bank. Nobody on the spot pronounces 

 Siccar as Sicker; always Scecdr. 

 YY 



