58 
THE OPENING OF A TUMULUS NEAR PICKERING. 
earthwork has been it is hard to surmise, but it is not con¬ 
temporary with the barrow, nor does it appear to have had any 
relation to the entrenchment that can be traced along the edge of 
the escarpment of the Ellerburn Woods, which goes northward for 
many miles. The Rev. Arthur Hill, of Thornton-le-dale, is of 
opinion that the earthwork passing between the barrows marks 
more or less the line of the old enclosure previous to that made at 
the end of the eighteenth century. • 
Owing to our party showing more zeal than method the work 
was not altogether systematically carried out, still we cut a trench 
from E. to W. south of the centre, and whilst doing so at a depth 
of 18 inches portions of a vessel were exposed. This was within 
two hours of commencing operations. The upper part of the 
vessel was missing and had evidently been struck and carried away 
by a plough. The vessel was carefully excavated and was found 
to be resting on the right side of the pelvis of a human skeleton. 
During the excavation of this skeleton, the missing part of the 
vessel was discovered as well as two saws, Plate II. b, one rather 
coarse, with coarser serrations on one edge than the other; the 
other a beautiful specimen of a fine saw, serrated on one edge 
only. Near the skeleton a spear or javelin head (see Plate II. a, 5) 
was found. 
Evans, in his “ Ancient Stone Implements of Great Britain,” 
states that in the soil of a single barrow at Rudstone there were 
no less than 78 saws, a remarkable occurrence, as they are rarely 
found. 
In Ireland, flakes converted into saws are scarce, so is the par¬ 
ticular kind of urn found with this burial. 
The skeleton was discovered on the west side of the barrow, and 
was lying on the left side with the head towards the east. The 
knees were drawn up to the chin and the legs flexed. The arms 
