A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 
remains of some small animals, was found at the feet of a skeleton in 
another part of the cemetery. Three skeletons seem to have been dis- 
covered in a bent or sitting attitude, and one at least of these was that of 
a warrior who had been buried with his spearhead, knife and an urn. 
It is clear from this and other cases that urns of a considerable size 
were sometimes placed in the grave with an unburnt body, though in 
other cemeteries urns above 6 inches in height may generally be con- 
sidered as proof of cremation. Another peculiarity of certain graves at 
Kempston was the presence of rough slabs of stone placed irregularly 
over the unburnt body. Though there is here no mention of similar 
stones along the sides of the grave, it may be of interest to compare the 
more complete tombs built in this fashion at Long Wittenham and 
Frilford, Berks, as well as at places in Northumberland, Westmorland, 
Leicestershire and Gloucestershire. 
In the original account urns are frequently mentioned as being 
found with skeletons, generally lying near the head and filled with 
Porrzry Vases FROM Graves aT Kempston, 
(2 size) 
earth. A few are expressly stated to have contained human bones, but 
in one instance it was doubtful whether these had been cremated. The 
smaller vases (see fig.), of which there are six from Kempston in the 
national collection, including one of Roman manufacture, are generally 
supposed to have contained liquid or food for ceremonial purposes, and 
the custom seems to have survived till the middle ages, when vessels of 
holy water were frequently placed in the tomb; but there are nine urns 
(see fig.) plain or ornamented with impressed patterns from this site in 
the British Museum that were doubtless used to contain the burnt re- 
mains of the dead, and some had intentionally been buried in a line. 
Bone combs are frequently found in these cinerary vessels, and at Kemp- 
ston a fragment with four teeth was found that had been placed in the 
urn after the act of cremation and so had itself escaped the fire. Other 
cinerary urns contained a piece of fused bronze, a drop of molten glass 
that may have been a bead, and an earthenware spindle-whorl. 
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