146 
MORTIMER : KILLIXG PITS. 
and from 1 foot to 5 feet in depth, and we thought it probable that 
none of them had originally been more than 10 to 12 feet in depth. 
Pits most certainly they are, and probably many of the shallow ones 
were made at various periods in obtaining, for different purposes, the 
slabs of gritstone which were near the surface, and which would be 
more easily procured at this outcrop of the beds than in most other 
places on the moors. Most of the slabs of gritstone which are found 
in the neighbourhood of Killing Pits vary from 6 to 12 inches, or 
little more, in thickness, and have been no doubt obtainable in all 
sizes up to 12 and 15 feet square. Were not at least some of these 
pits excavated for the purpose of removing such slabs, to be cut into 
the tall boundary stones, several of which we have observed standing 
on the moors, and which were probably at one time more numerous 
than now ? They are of the same texture as the gritstone slabs 
remaining in situ at Killing Pits. Again, several of the pits may 
have been made by the Ancient Britons in quarrying to obtain the 
side and cover stones to form the burial chambers (Kistvaens) for 
the reception and protection of their dead placed in the tumuli of 
that neighbourhood. For such a purpose the most suitable stones, 
most readily obtained, would be procured from these outcropping beds 
at Killing Pits, where little more than the removal of the turf would 
be needed to reach slabs of a suitable size and thickness. It may be 
noticed that the beds are cracked in every direction, often more or 
less displaced, broken, and tilted on edge, sufficiently to form separate 
slabs, so that their extraction would not be difficult. That such slabs 
were long since used by the Ancient Britons living on the moors 
round the Killing Pits we have ample evidence from the stone cists 
found in the tumuli, and also from finding several of the boundary 
posts marked with small cup and other engravings upon them, of the 
Ancient British period. These boundary-stones, on which are shown 
cup markings and other ancient mystic sculpturing, are most certainly 
portions of broken-up slabs which have come from ancient burial 
chambers. The iiTegular size and form of many of the KiUing Pits 
are just such as would be left by the obtaining of boundary posts or 
slabs suitable for the construction of stone chambers for interring the 
dead Slabs of various sizes would be required, and where a large one 
