344 Be Mortuis. [July, 



exactly the reverse had happened. Owing to the presence of water, 

 and perhaps to the fact that it was strongly impregnated with iron, 

 the soft parts of the body had been turned into a dark, greasy, 

 substance (adipoeere ?) ; and the bones, with the exception of a few 

 fragments, were changed into a kind of powder. 



Singularly enough, the brain seems to have been the part 

 which had undergone the least change. On opening the coffin it was 

 found lying at one end, where no doubt the head had originally 

 been placed, covered by a thick hemispherical woollen cap, about 

 6 inches in height. The outer side of the cap was thickly covered 

 by short loose threads, every one of them ending in a small knot, 

 which gave the cap a very singular appearance. The trunk of the 

 corpse had been wrapped in a coarse woollen cloak, which was 

 almost semicircular, and hollowed out round the neck. It was about 

 3 feet 8 inches long, and broad in proportion. On its inner side 

 were left hanging a great number of short woollen threads, which 

 gave it somewhat the appearance of plush. On the right side of 

 the corpse was a box, closed by a lid, 1\ inches in diameter, 6J 

 inches high, and fastened together by pieces of osier or bark. In 

 this box was a similar smaller one, without a lid, containing three 

 articles, namely, a cap 7 inches high, of simply woven woollen stuff; 

 a small comb, 3 inches long by 2 £ inches high ; and a small simple 

 razor-knife. The coffin also contained two woollen shawls, one of 

 them covering the feet, the other lying higher up ; they were square 

 in shape, 5 feet long, 3 feet 9 inches broad, and with a long- 

 fringe. 



At the place where the body had lain was a shirt, also of woollen 

 material, cut out a little for the neck, and with a long projecting 

 tongue at one of the upper angles. It was fastened at the waist by 

 a long woollen band, which went twice round the body, and hung 

 down in front. On the left side of the corpse was a bronze sword 

 in a wooden sheath, 2 feet 3 inches in length, having a solid simple 

 handle. At the feet were two pieces of woollen stuff about 14J inches 

 long and 3^ inches wide, the use of which does not seem quite clear, 

 though they may be supposed to be the remains of leggings. At 

 the end of the coffin were found traces of leather, doubtless the 

 remains of boots. In the cap where the head had been was some 

 black hair,- and the form of the brain was still recognizable. Finally, 

 this ancient warrior had been wrapped round in an ox's hide, and 

 so committed to the grave. The other two coffins were not examined 

 by competent persons, and the valuable information which they 

 might have afforded is lost to us. The more indestructible things 

 were, however, preserved; they consisted of a sword, a brooch, a 

 knife, a double-pointed awl, a pair of tweezers, a large double button 

 or stud, all of bronze ; a small double button of tin, and a javelin- 

 head of flint. 



