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midland union of Natural history sociFTIfs. 
Castle Ring, at Beaudesert, Knave’s Castle, Castle Old Fort, at 
Stonnall, Druid Heath, Barr Beacon near Sutton Coldfield, Castle 
Bromwich, and Oldbury. 
Beyond these important places we find a large number of lows, 
barrows, and tumuli, which in almost every case occupy elevated and 
commanding positions, as those of you who accompany either of the 
excursions to-morrow will observe ; not only so, but many of them 
were rendered sacred by use as places of sepulture, and were by this 
means protected from destruction. There is also no doubt that these 
spots were beacon stations from whence military signals were conveyed 
by a pillar of cloud, i.e., smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night. 
Our townsman, Mr. A. A. Clarson, who has distinguished himself 
among scientific men as a most painstaking archaeologist, in an 
excellent paper on the “ Tumuli of the District” draws attention to 
this fact, and to the different classes of sepulchral pottery found in 
them when opened. These he divides into four kinds. 
Cinerary urns and incense cups in the case of cremation, the urn 
for the ashes of the dead, the incense cup to carry the fire to the 
funeral pile. 
Drinking cups and food vessels in the case of inhumation supposed 
to contain sustenance for the departed on the journey to the happy 
hunting grounds. 
The local tumuli are at Hopwas Wood, Wiggintou, Elford, Edin- 
gale, Croxall, Barrow Cop Hill, Bury Hill, Offlow, Hints, King’s Stand¬ 
ing, Windmill Hill, Maxtoke (3), Arley, Hartshill (2), and Cloudesley 
Bush, with doubtful ones at Polesworth, Stipershill, and Bramcote. 
Several of these have been opened, that at Elford, in 1680, by Dr. 
Plot, who found it to contain ashes and burnt bones, whilst one of 
those at Hartshill was opened in 1773 and disclosed a pavement of 
brick about Oft. square, which indicates the Romano-British period, 
as bricks were not used until after the Roman invasion. 
In 1832 Mr. Mathew Bloxam opened the second tumulus near 
Hartshill Castle, and the dagger, cups, and vases of early pottery 
found there are now in his possession. Close by Croxall, in 1873, Sir 
Wilmot Horton found and presented to the Museum at Lichfield two 
Roman or Romano-British urns, containing bones, and one drinking 
cup. These were discovered at about 2ft. below the surface of the 
ground in a field at Oakley Farm. 
In the yep.r 55 b.c., Julius Csesar crossing the Channel with a fleet 
of eighty ships and 10,000 men, landed in Britain on a flat part of the 
coast between Walmer and Sandwich, to avenge an attack that had 
been made on the Roman arms by a British force, he was met in 
battle by the Princes of Kent, whom he signally defeated, and having 
accomplished his object retired to Gaul. 
But early in the next year, 54 b.c., he invaded Britain a second 
time and advanced as far as St. Albans, where a treaty was made with 
the British Chief Cassivelaunus, who, with 4,000 chariots, had stoutly 
opposed his advance, and Caasar taking hostages again retired, in all 
