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cyanide of potassium, as a test for the existence of the former; and these 

 in the reaction yielded a distinctly blue colour, thus showing evident 

 traces of iron. A fresh beef bone subjected to the same process, for 

 the purpose of comparison, only gave an extremely light tinge of blue. 

 It was thus clear that the cavern bones contained more iron than one 

 perfectly recent does. The question then arose as to whether the infil- 

 tration were only superficial, or permeating the substance. This was 

 solved by sawing some of the heavier bones across. During the opera- 

 tion they gave out a strong organic smell; and the sections showed 

 plainly that a large amount of the original organic matter was retained, 

 whilst any decay of gelatine had been chiefly from the outsides, more 

 spongy parts, and fractured surfaces. This also proved that the bones 

 had remained unsaturated with carbonate of lime, or other foreign 

 mineral matter. "We must therefore conclude that the iron impregnation 

 was only superficial, derived from the enveloping ferruginous clay, and 

 that the difference in comparative weight must be referred mainly to 

 the greater or less loss of gelatine. Upon the Avhole, these bones must 

 rather be referred to the class "recent," than that of "subfossil." 



The existence of the charcoal and pottery along with the remains 

 leads us to the conclusion that the place in which they were found was 

 used for cooking by the ancient Troglodytes — that the charcoal survived 

 from their fires, and the pottery from their rude culinary utensils. Upon 

 taking a general view of the facts, I am inclined to consider the deposit 

 in the light of what the Danish antiquaries have designated as a 

 " Kjokkenmodding," or " Kitchen dung" heap. 



As to the antiquity of the bones it is very hard to give a conjecture ; 

 and opinions on these matters, where there is little proof, should always 

 be formed with great caution, and put forward with diffidence. There 

 is, however, one thing which may possibly throw some light on this 

 point, as a matter of circumstantial evidence, and it is the following : — 

 That about four years ago a fibula, and two coins of the reign of Trajan, 

 were found at the opposite side of the cavern, a little further on in it 

 than the bone deposit, at the height of about four inches above the 

 gravel, and in the clay. These I have seen, and have no reason to 

 doubt their genuineness. But there is no evidence as to when or how 

 they got to the place in which they were discovered ; and, as there was 

 no stalagmite overlying them, there is nothing determinative of at least 

 a certain degree of antiquity for the time of their embedding. It is 

 right, however, to mention this circumstance, from its possible bearing 

 on my subject. If we allow to it some weight, and combine it with 

 the comparatively recent character of the bones, I think that a period 

 about that of the Roman dominion over Britain may be fairly accepted, 

 provisionally at least, as that of the time of the deposit. This takes it 

 unquestionably out of the domain of geology, strictly speaking, but 

 relegates it to that of archaeology. 



It is an interesting fact to find that one of the great Derbyshire 

 caverns, like several others which have recently come to light both in 



