Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/118

96 through the tumulus into the natural soil (chalk), which suggests the idea that the burials are not those of the tribe by which the mound was raised. So many interments, from their character evidently not the results of a battle, could hardly have been made so nearly at the same time as to lead to the formation of the tumulus. This remark applies to nearly all the graves, and is confirmed by some of the reliques discovered subsequently.

No. 2.—3$1⁄2$ feet deep. An iron spear was found lying at the head; a bow-shaped bronze fibula lay near the skull. Length of the spear, including socket, 9$1⁄2$ inches; the socket has an open slit at the side, and is 4$1⁄2$ inches in length. The blade lance-shaped, tapering from 1 inch at the base to $1⁄4$ of an inch at the point: length of fibula, 1$3⁄4$ inches; it has a bronze acus, now broken. This fibula deserves notice, as being of a distinctly Roman type, and it bears resemblance to that found at Wilbraham, figured in plate 9, No. 11, "Saxon Obsequies."

January 4. No. 3.—3 feet 6 inches deep. No reliques found with the deposit.

No. 4.—4 feet deep. A ring of bronze 1 inch in diameter; not a finger ring.

January 5. No. 5.—3 feet 6 inches deep, nothing found with the deposit.

No. 6.—5 feet 6 inches deep. Nothing found with the deposit. The bones in all the graves above enumerated were very much decayed.

No. 7.—4 feet deep. An iron boss of a shield in fragments; one iron spear 12$1⁄2$ inches long, with open-slit socket and remains of wooden haft within it; length of blade, 6$1⁄2$ inches; width, 1$3⁄4$ inches at base, $1⁄2$ inch at point; this lay by the head. An iron knife; blade, 2 inches long, $1⁄2$ inch wide, and $1⁄4$ inch at point.

No. 8.—3$1⁄2$ feet deep. An iron spear lay by the head, 6 inches long; length of blade 3 inches; width at base, $3⁄4$ inch; at point, $1⁄2$ inch; open-slit socket with wood remaining in it.

No. 9.—5 feet deep. This body lay with feet to the east. A situla (see woodcut, Fig. VIII.) lay by the right side of the head. It resembles those found at Wilbraham in 1851, "Saxon Obsequies," plate 17. The wooden staves had almost entirely perished, but the bands of bronze which