The Grave-mounds of Derbyshire, and their Contents. 189 



funeral pyre has been lit can very clearly be perceived, and, as 

 I have said before, in these instances the ground beneath is 

 generally burned to some considerable depth. Where it was 

 intended that the remains should be collected together, and 

 placed in an urn for interment, I apprehend, from careful 

 examination, that the urn being formed of clay — most pro- 

 bably, judging from the delicacy of touch, and from the impress 

 of fingers which occasionally remains, by the females of the 

 tribes — and ornamented according to the taste of the manipu- 

 lator, was placed in the funeral fire and there baked, while the 

 body of the deceased was being consumed. The remains of 

 the calcined bones, the flints, etc., were then " scraped " up 

 together and placed in the urn ; over which the mound was 

 next raised. When it was not intended to use an urn, them 

 the remains were collected together, piled up in a small heap, 

 and covered to some little thickness with earth (and occa- 

 sionally small stones) . Another fire was then lit on the top of 

 this small mound, which had the effect of baking the earth, 

 and enclosing the remains of calcined bones, etc., in a kind of 

 crust resembling in colour and hardness, a partly-baked brick. 

 Having now spoken of the principles of construction of the 

 Celtic grave-mounds of Derbyshire, and described the various 

 modes of interment which they exhibit, I shall in my next 

 paper proceed to describe the pottery and the objects of flinty 

 bone, and stone, which they contain. 



(To oe continued.) 



