EARLY MAN 
tumulus, are given in Greenwell and Rolleston’s British Barrows (pp. 7, 8).' 
No pottery except what has been mentioned, no personal relics except 
the twelve rude beads of cannel coal, were found to our knowledge, but 
there might have been. The removal of the tumulus occupied, inter- 
mittently, over two years, and was proceeded with at such chance times 
as the work of a large farm and the weather left men and horses free. 
Hence continuous scientific supervision was impossible ; but archeologists 
are much indebted to Mr. Potter for the care he took to record, secure, 
and preserve everything.’ 
A granite monolith stands in the next field, 106 yards due west 
from the circumference of the tumulus: it stands 4 feet 7 inches high, 
and is 13 feet in circumference at the ground level; no artificial mark- 
ings have been found upon it. 
Cup, Rinc anp GroovE MarkIncs 
The occurrence of cup, ring and groove marked stones is not with- 
out precedent in Cumberland. Indeed the first discovery of them was 
made at Aspatria, in Cumberland, in the month of June, 1789, and is 
reported by Major Hayman Rooke, in a letter dated December 17 in 
that year, and read before the Society of Antiquaries of London, 
February 4, 1790.” The following is Major Rooke’s account of the 
circumstances of the find, which, be it observed, is not from personal 
observation, but from information supplied to him by Mr. Rigg, the 
proprietor of the land on which stood the barrow or tumulus, during 
the opening of which the discovery was made. The Major had an in- 
spection of the objects found and sketched them. 
About two hundred yards north of the village, and just behind his house (Mr. 
Rigg’s), is a rising ground called Beacon Hill, on the summit of which the barrow was 
placed, commanding an extensive view every way, and of course a very proper 
situation for a beacon, which was probably erected on the barrow. In levelling this 
(the base of which I found to have been go feet in circumference) they removed 
six feet of earth to the natural soil, and about three feet below they found a vault 
formed with two large cobble stones at each side, and one at each side (sic). In it 
was the skeleton of a man which measured seven feet from the head to the ankle bone, 
the feet were decayed and rotted off. The bones at first appeared perfect, but when 
exposed to the air became very brittle. On the left side near the shoulder was a 
broad sword near five feet in length ; the guard was elegantly ornamented with silver 
flowers. On the right side lay a dirk or dagger, one foot six inches and a quarter in 
length, the handle appeared to have been studded with gold. Near the dagger was 
found part of a gold fibula or buckle, and an ornament for the end of a belt, a piece 
of which adhered to it when first taken up . . . Several pieces of a shield were 
picked up, but I did not see parts sufficient to make out the shape. There were also 
part of a battle axe . . . a bit shaped like a modern snaffle, part of a spur. 
These were very much corroded with rust. H and IJ are the two large cobble stones 
1 This account of the Kirkoswald tumulus is abbreviated from one by the present writer 
in the Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archeological Society, 
vol. xiii. pp. 389-99. 
2 Archeologia, vol. X. pp. 105, 111, 113 ; see also Hutchinson’s History of Cumberland, 
vol. ii. pp. 287, 288, note. 
if 241 R 
