Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/337

 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 289 June, 2, 1854. Tlic Hon. Richard C. Neville, Vice-President, in the C'liair. Mr. Edward A. Freeman called the attention of the Society to the existence of a sepulchral chamber of remarkable character, in a tumulus called "the Tump," near the great hill-fortress of Ule^'bury, Gloucester- shire. He stated that this burial-place, sometimes designated as " the Giant's Chamber " had been partly excavated some years since, when some remains were found, now preserved at Guy's Hospital ; and that lie proposed to prosecute further examination in the course of the following autumn, when he kindly requested the presence and co-operation of any members of the Institute and archajologists who take interest in primeval remains. The results of the researches subsequently made by Mr, Freeman, in accordance with the invitation thus announced, will be given hereafter in this Journal. Mr. Dickenson observed that a place of burial, which appeared to bear much resemblance to the remarkable chambered cairn near Uley, existed near Stony Littleton, Somersetshire, which had been opened in 1S16 by the late Sir Kichard Colt Hoare, who had given an account with a plan and other illustrations in the Archasologia, vol. xix., p. 43. A further exami- nation had been recently made under the direction of Mr. Poulett Scrope, President of the Wiltshire Archaeological Society, and the results as he believed would shortly be published in their Transactions. The Rev. H. M. Scarth communicated a short notice, accompanied by drawings, of the discovery of stone cists near a Roman villa at Comb Down, Somerset. Three cists, containing the skeletons of a male and two females, were found near the surface placed side by side, the heads towards the north. These stone coffins were roughly hewn, the width increasing towards the head in each instance, that end of the coffin being shaped also to a rounded form. At one side of this group of interments was placed a square stone chest, with a convex lid neatly fitting into a rabet in the sides of the chest, which was filled with burnt bones. The dimensions of this chest are about 12 inches by 9 inches, the depth being rather more than, 6 inches. On the other side was a second stone chest, measuring 22 inches by 15 inches, and containing the head and bones of a horse. Roman pottery and coins had frequently been found near the spot. Mr. Scarth has given a more detailed account of these curious discoveries, which will be recorded in the Transactions of the Somersetshire Archaeological Society. He described also a little group of tumuli near the Nodes Wood, on Beaulieu Heath, Hants, comprising two conical barrows with an oval mound of larger size placed between them. They are placed closely adjacent to one another in a line N. and S. Each mound is surrounded by a ditch ; the conical tumuli measuring in diameter about GO feet and 45 feet respectively, and the oblong central tumulus 90 feet. They do not appear to have been excavated. Mr. Nesbitt gave the following description of three engraved sepulchral brassesof the XVlth century, two of which are in the Cathedral of Meissen, and one in that of Liibeck. He exhibited rubbings from these memorials. The sepulchral brasses at Meissen commemorate members of the Saxon Ducal family, viz., Zdcna or Sidonia, daughter of George of Podiebrad,