beads, of which the greater number were hammer-like, the rest tubular or ring-shaped. The passage was filled up by earth, mixed with fragments of pottery, and small stones. About the middle was a skeleton, with the head towards the east, at the side of which were five flakes and an amber bead. Close to the feet was a jar, unornamented, and much ruder than those found in the chamber itself. Not the smallest fragment of metal was found either in the chamber or in the passage.

Again, as a second case of the same sort, I may mention

View in the Chamber looking through the entrance.

the Long Barrow (fig. 104), near West Kennet, in Wiltshire,

108

STONE IMPLEMENTS AND POTTERY

described by Dr. Thurnam.* The tumulus in this case is three hundred and thirty-six feet in length, forty feet wide at the west end, and seventy-five at the east, with a height of eight feet. The walls of the chamber are formed by six great blocks of stone, and it opens into a passage, so that the ground plan very closely resembles that of the tumulus just described, and, in fact, of the "passage graves" generally.

Flint Implements from the Tumulus at West Kennet.

The chamber and entrance were nearly filled with chalkrubble, containing also bones of animals, flint implements (figs. 105 to 108), and fragments of pottery. In the chamber were four skeletons, two of which appear to have been buried in a sitting posture. In different parts of the chamber were

FROM THE TUMULUS AT WEST KENNET.

109

found nearly three hundred flakes, three or four flint cores, a whetstone, a scraper, part of a bone pin, a bead of Kimmeridge shale, and several heaps of fragments of pottery (figs.

109 to 114), belonging apparently to no less than fifty different vessels, and all made by hand, with one doubtful exception. No trace of metal was discovered. The two

110

TUMULI OF MODERN SAVAGES.

pieces (figs. 113, 114) were found apart from the rest, and may, perhaps, be of later origin.

Other similar cases might be mentioned,* in which tumuli of large size, covering a sepulchral chamber, constructed with great labor of huge blocks of stone, have contained several skeletons, evidently those of persons of high rank, and accompanied by many stone implements and fragments of pottery, yet without a trace of metal. It appears reasonable to conclude that these interments belong to the antemetallic period; especially when, as in the first-mentioned case, we find several secondary interments, plainly belonging to a later age, and although presenting no such indications of high rank, still accompanied by objects of bronze.

It may seem at first sight very improbable that works so considerable should have been undertaken and carried out by nations entirely ignorant of metal. The burial mound of Oberea, în Otaheiti, was nevertheless two hundred and sixtyseven feet long, eighty-seven wide, and forty-four in height. And in treating of modern savages, I shall hereafter have occasion to notice other instances quite as extraordinary.

The practice of burying in old tumuli, which continued

See, for instance, Lukis, Archæologia v. 35, p. 247.

even down to the times of Charlemagne, has led to some confusion, because objects of very different date are thus liable to be described as coming from one grave; yet, on the other hand, it is very instructive, as there are several cases on record, besides the one above mentioned, of interments characterised by bronze being found above, and being, therefore, evidently subsequent to others, accompanied by stone only.

On the whole, however, though it is evident that the objects most frequently buried with the dead would be those most generally used by the living, and though the prevalence of stone implements proves the important part played by stone in ancient times, and goes far to justify the belief in a Stone age; still, the evidence to be brought forward on this point in the following chapters will probably to many minds seem more satisfactory;

and at any rate we must admit that in the present state of our knowledge there are comparatively few interments which we could with confidence refer to the Neolithic Stone age, however firmly we may believe that a great many of them must belong to it.

Mr. Bateman has proposed to range the pottery found in ancient British tumuli under four different heads-namely, 1. Urns; 2. Incense Cups; 3.

FIG. 115.

Sepulchral Urn.

Food Vases; 4. Drinking Cups. The urns generally accom

One of his regulations ran as follows:-"Jubemus ut corpora Christianorum Saxonorum ad cæmeteria ec

clesiæ deferantur, et non ad tumulos paganorum."