300 COLE : NOTES ON THE DANEs' GRAVES NEAR DRIFFIELD. 
the terrible headland of Flamborough, Buckton, and Bempton, to 
land in Filey Bay, when they could find a commodious and safe 
shelter in that of Bridlington. 
To revert, however, to the so-called Danes' Graves. They are 
actually contiguous to the ancient British wa}^ above alluded to, all 
on the south side of it. On the Ordnance Map they are shown as 
closely grouped together as cobbles in a pavement, to the number of 
197. but their number must have been far greater before the land 
was disturbed by ploughing, as the adjacent fields show the remains 
of many others which have been levelled down. In all probability 
400 or 500 graves were once as well visible as those now to be seen. 
Similar groups of graves are (or were) to be seen at Arras, and at 
Scorborough, both in the East Riding. This special grouping is 
utterly unlike anything to be met with on the Wolds, though 
Mr. Mortimer for the elucidation of his excellent collection from 
barrows on the Wolds, has grouped together certain tumuli, and has 
founded thereon a star theory, which, unfortunately, I am not able to 
agree with. The peculiar grouping of the graves at Danes' Graves, 
and the other places mentioned, points to a settled occujyation. No 
battlefield would account for so many separate graves. We must 
rather look upon them as an ancient cemetery of a settled 
population. 
When we come to look at the contents, which will be fully 
described in a future paper by Mr. Mortimer, we shall find that 
they are quite different from the mass of tumuli on the Yorkshire 
W^olds, and of a much later date. In the earlier tumuli there is 
very little trace of bronze, and none whatever of iron. Out of 300 
tumuli on the Wolds, examined by Mr, Mortimer, only about 12 
showed any trace of bronze, which was comparatively unknown when 
they were located. Hence we must assign the earlier mounds partly 
to the Stone Age and partly an early period in the Bronze Age. The 
knives, celts, saws, and other instruments as arrowheads and spears, 
are all of flint or stone. The bodies were mostly inhumed, not 
cremated ; later on, as authorities tell us, bodies in the Bronze Age 
were mostl}' cremated. Both kinds of interment, however, occur in 
the same mounds on the Wolds. 
