Pre-historic Interments near Porton, Wilts. 411 



of remarkable geometrical correctness. Canon Greenwell, in his 

 British Barrows, states on pages 6 and 7 in regard to enclosing 

 circles on the Yorkshire Wolds : — 



"I have met with this feature in the form of a circle of flint stones, and 

 of a circular trench. In both cases there was a space left vacant . . . 

 The same peculiarity is found to exist in the barrows and cairns of other 

 parts of England and Scotland, and indeed, this incompleteness appears to 

 be almost invariable in connection with sepulchral circles." 



We must, however, await another drought before we can be 

 absolutely sure that these circles at Porton are exceptions. 



In the centre we found the interment in a grave about 8ft. long, 

 4ft. wide, and 4ft. deep. The skeleton was in a crouched position, 

 lying on its right side, with its head due east. The bones were 

 much decayed, and the skull had collapsed through the under-side 

 having perished, but all the teeth were in an exceptionally good 

 state of preservation, and remarkably fine : indeed, when I compare 

 these magnificent molars, so perfect after some three thousand years, 

 with the miserable substitutes with which so many are now-a-day 

 compelled to be content, and remember the amount of misery and 

 torture which one has had to endure before even this degree of 

 proficiency has been attained, the happy lot of this ancient 

 Wiltshireman is to be envied, at least in this respect ! 



The remains were evidently those of a fully-developed person 

 of from 18 to 25 years of age. Nothing was found in the grave 

 except a small piece of worked flint. This may have been part of 

 an arrow-head, which possibly caused the death of the individual. 



Mr. Doran Webb has the remains of the skull. 



Another single brown circle was visible close to the line, the 

 centre of which would come within the railway company's boundary, 

 and I fear that the interment is under the tail of the embankment. 



On another occasion, when passing in the train, I noticed in the 

 arable field on the east side of the line two or three slight mounds 

 just to the north of the Horse Barrow, which were evidently small 

 barrows that had been ploughed down ; and having obtained 

 permission from the owner, Mr. Carter, of Parkstone, I undertook 

 the excavation of these. 



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