Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/378

 2^2 BERKSHIRE ANTIQUITIES. was very nearly the centre, and at eight feet below the surface, we came upon the place of cremation, still abundantly strewed with wood ashes of oak, and immediatel}^ afterwards disco- vered the deposit of calcined hvmian bones. These were in considerable quantity, not secured in an urn, but placed in moist clay soil, and, judging from their absolute freedom from any admixture with it, imist, when first assigned to their place of concealment, have been carefully enveloped in some- thing which had perished, either a cloth, or, more })robably, the skin of some animal ; but no pin of m^y material could be found. Within a foot of this lay the elegantly shaped bronze instrument represented by the annexed woodcut, which was so perfect that the rivets which had fastened it to the handle still remained in the two openings, though the handle itself was gone'^ In addition to the effects produced by the action of a very strong fire, the bones appeared to have been pounded or com- minuted in some way, so that no piece shoidd remain of any length : but notwithstanding the dampness of their hidingplace, they had not suffered in the slightest degree from moisture or decay, but were as fresh and perfect as when gathered from the funeral pile. It is obviously difficidt to say much re- si)ecting them, but from tlie worn appearance of the teeth found, which were very small, and gave the idea of those of a female, the individual to whom they belonged must have been rather past the middle age. There was also the lower jaw of a child of two or three years old, and some small fragments of iron as before, mixed up with the whole. AVith respect to the bronze instrument, never having seen any like it, I can only offer a conjectiu-e with much diffidence. It has exactly the make of a plumber's knife, is rather blunt at the oids, and designed to cut at the sides. It is too weak for an offen- sive weapon, and had it been intended for such, would assur- edly, according to the usual fashion both of spear and arroAv- heads, have been strengthened by a rib u}) the middle. Such an arrow-head of bronze, and which has also been secured by rivets, may be seen re})resented in Sir R. C. Hoare's Ancient Wilts, (southern part, plate xxxii. fig. 1,) and in this the differ- ence will be very obvious. Something nearly of the same kind has been found in Dorsetshire, and is now deposited in '' It is now deposited in the Ashinoleaii Museum, Oxford.
 * iie county museum at Blandford. It is figured in a subse-