270 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
the elevation effected suddenly, or in a few years, or in a few or many 
centuries'? From what I can gather of the history of land oscilla- 
tions in other parts of the world, the probability is that it was a 
very slow process, so much so that its progressive littoral changes 
were too small to be appreciated during the ordinary lifetime of an 
observer. If that be the case, it follows that there is a correspond- 
ing difference in the dates when the shallower and deeper portions 
of the sea-bottom reached the surface. We have already seen that 
the upheaval must have been practically completed in the vicinity 
of Drip Bridge before the wooden roadway was laid down, the 
carse lands there being only a few feet above present high-water 
mark. Hence the chronological value of antiquarian relics found 
within the zone of the 2 5 -feet raised beaches depends to some 
extent on their position above sea-level. There are several recent 
discoveries which help to elucidate this point, one of the most 
instructive being a Bronze Age cemetery near Joppa, the situation 
of which is thus described by Mr W. Lowson, F.S.A. Scot. : — 
In the beginning of December last (1881) workmen began to excavate 
a piece of ground, little more than an acre in extent, lying between 
Magdalen Chemical Works and Eastfield Cottages, Joppa, on the north 
side of the road from Edinburgh to Musselburgh. The level of the 
ground is about 12 to 14 feet above high-water mark. On the top was 
ordinary soil, and beneath that a layer of sea-sand from 4 to 8 feet thick, 
and beneath that gravel. On the 21st January last I learned from the 
person who had feued the ground that in the course of removing the sand 
the workmen had discovered a large cinerary urn, filled with calcined 
human bones.” * Subsequently, six other urns, varying in size, and all 
contained in stone cists, were recovered from the same locality. Besides, 
there were two or three cists without urns, and one with a skeleton. All 
these interments were from 4 to 6 feet below the surface of the ground, 
and about 3 feet down on the bed of sand. “ The piece of ground,” writes 
Mr Lowson, “ in which these remains were found lies along the sea-shore, 
and is now faced with heavy stones towards the sea ; but I saw an old 
man in Fisherrow who remembers that he used to dig out sandmartins’ 
nests in that bank before the stones were put there. He had seen similar 
urns taken out in his boyhood.” 
These facts conclusively prove that the sea had retreated to 
close upon its present limits before these interments had taken 
place. For if the surface of this sandy beach is 12 to 14 feet 
above high-water mark, and the graves from 4 to 6 feet in depth, 
Proc. S.A. Scot., vol. xvi. p. 419. 
