Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/265

Rh bones, which indicate the skeleton to be that of a female, also a large quantity of animal bones, amongst which was the skull either of a wolf or large dog. From the absence of any urn or other article, it is questionable if this can with propriety be styled a barrow, but from the fact of the discovery of human bones I have thought it worthy of record.

“On the 6th of May, 1844, I opened a barrow called Moot Lowe, situated in a rocky field of considerable elevation, about a mile south-west of Grange Mill. The barrow is about 15 yards in diameter, and about 4 feet higher than the surrounding field. We commenced cutting from the east side towards the middle, at about four yards from which we found, just under the turf, on the left-hand side of our trench, a large urn measuring about 16 inches in height, and 13 inches in diameter at the mouth; it is made of coarse and badly-baked clay, and is rudely ornamented with lines running in different directions. When found, it lay on one side, crushed to pieces from having lain so near the surface. I shall be able to restore it partially, when I shall make a drawing of it, which I will send you. Within the urn was a deposit of burnt bones, amongst which was a lance head, or dagger, of brass, measuring 3$1⁄4$ inches in length, with a hole at the lower end, by which it had been riveted or otherwise fastened into the handle; it has sometime been very highly polished. It is here drawn of the original size. It is remarkable that this is the only brass dagger that I can trace as being found in the Derbyshire barrows, although it is by no means uncommon to find them in the south of England, as see Sir R. C. Hoare’s Ancient Wiltshire, vol. i. Plates 11 and 28, where two are engraved, very similar to this one. A little nearer the centre of the barrow was a skeleton, with the knees drawn up, lying on some large limestones, but unaccompanied by articles of any kind. The ground in the centre of the barrow was at least four feet lower than the natural soil, and filled up with stones without soil, but nothing was found there. Dispersed amongst the soil, of which the barrow was in part composed, were found teeth of pigs and other animals, a small fragment of an urn, some chippings of flint, and a very few rat bones. About 400 yards from the foregoing barrow there was another small barrow, likewise called Moot Lowe, which was formerly opened by Mr. Gill, who (as I am informed) found some articles of gold there. There is now very little of the barrow remaining; however, I examined it on the 6th of May, and found a few human bones and teeth, which had evidently belonged to two skeletons, and a few animal bones also.

“On the 8th of May, 1844, I opened a barrow called Sliper Lowe, situated on Brassington Moor. It is about twelve yards in diameter, but very low, being raised scarcely more than a foot above the ground: it is probably reduced in height by having been ploughed over; indeed, I am pretty confident that such is the case, as we found human bones &c. scattered all over the surface of the barrow, just under the turf, and broken into small pieces, no doubt by being dragged about by the ploughshare. We cut trenches through it in different directions, and found that it was raised upon the rock. On coming to the middle, we found a deposit of burnt bones, with two flint arrow-heads and two other instruments of flint. Proceeding a little deeper, we discovered a cist cut in the rock, which contained a