23 
laid across the breast. The coffin has not yet been minutely 
examined to see whether there are any hazels in it. The earth 
at the bottom of the coffin was almost of a metallic hardness, 
and to ascertain its composition a portion of it was submitted to 
Dr. Procter, who obligingly favoured me with the following 
analysis of it:— 
ANALYSIS OF THE DRY EARTH. 
Organic matter. 6 95 
Phosphate and oxide of iron.42*30 
Phosphate of allumina, and magnesia, 
and carbonates .. 15*60 
Insoluble silicious matter (sand).35*15 
100*00 
In coffins Nos. 3 and 5 the same accomplished analyst 
detected the presence of Yivianite. 
We have, therefore, seven coffins in all, four of which are 
rounded inside and out; two others have flat lids; and the 
seventh, that of a child, seems to have been made more after 
the modern fashion, of five boards fastened together with pegs. 
The wood has been cut and smoothed with the axe. The 
bodies have been laid upon their backs, with their hands 
stretched out by their sides ; in one case only the right hand is 
laid across the breast. In four instances we detected the 
presence of hazel rods or twigs in the hands of the deceased. 
In coffin No. 6 I found a sherd of unmistakable Samian ware, 
but this had drifted in no doubt from the river. Not an 
ornament or utensil was found inside or outside, except a small 
bronze stud, of early character, upon which no argument can be 
based. This was discovered among the loose earth in the 
cemetery. I must not forget to remark that in two or three 
cases an oaken headpost, some two or three feet long by one foot, 
and perhaps ten or twelve inches thick, was found at the head of 
the coffin, to mark the place of sepulture. This must originally 
have been above the surface of the ground, so that the depth at 
which these coffins were laid must have been extremely shallow. 
Such was the system of burial among the Saxons or English. 
We must now consider the date of this cemetery. One daily 
