Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/376

 230 BERKSHIRE ANTIQUITIES. included originally in one fosse with the other : on this it was determined to begin. Before going farther, it should be remarked of the Knob, that, as far as can be judged from the very indifferent growth of the trees upon it, and the appearances manifest wherever the rain has washed away the grass springing up on its sides, its summit, whatever the rest may be, is composed of chalk, in which particular, as will be presently seen, it differs much as to construction from others in the neighbourhood. 1848. Sept. 18. The small barrow, on being cut into, from the nature of its contents, seemed to present the novelty of a sup- plemental tmnulus to the larger one. It was composed of the ordinary soil around it ; and upon digging down to no great depth, there was found in the middle a conical heap of loose stones, with no deposit either above or beneath, unless the plough had swept it away ; while on the north, south, and east sides, (the other was not examined,) at aliout two or three yards from the centre, a blackness of the soil to a considerable extent indicated the presence of decayed animal matter, per- haps as much in each case as might be produced by the de- composed bodies of small horses. Amongst this were mixed bones and teeth of horses, teeth of swine, and small bones of animals, together with many small liun})s of iron'', conjectured to have belonged to harness ; but there were only a few in- considerable fragments of charcoal, and no place of cremation discoverable. Sept. 19. The next attempt was upon the largest and most western of two barrows which stand upon the native down in the bottom between Churn and Lower Chants farms. These are so considerable in size as to be marked upon the Ordnance map. The one opened stands just 150 yards north of what is called the Devil's Ditch *", is of the bell form, mea- b Owing to these not being affected by the our stand upon the barrow, if we trace its magnet, they were at one time supposed to course towards the west, which would be be iron pyrites, the natural produce of the upon the right liand, it passes first into a chalk soil; but upon a large spear-head ploughed field, and there goes round, not discovered at Wittenham being submitted through, a yet unoj)ened barrow, which it to the same test, it was observed to be no has been observed, these works always do. moreattractedthan the fragments had been. It then creeps visibly up the opposite hill c Carefully to be distinguished from below Fox barrow ; from which point it Grimsdyke. It is one of these numerous forms the boundary between the parishes of banks and ditches running over the downs, Ilsley and Blewbury, as it does afterwards for the irregular courses of which Sir R. between those of Ilsley and Chilton ; and C. Hoare felt himself so much at a loss to continues along the north side of the chalk account. He has noticed this one in his hills, (a usual course, according to Dr. Aulient Wills, Northern part, p..51. Taking Stukeley,) being in good preservation,