Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/390

 292 DISCOVERY OF A SAXON INTERMENT unfortunately not apprized of tlie discovery until they had been removed by the workmen. I can therefore only give such information as to their position, with reference to the skeleton with which they were lying, as I obtained from the labourers. " Long Wittenham lies on the right bank of the river Isis, about midway between Abingdon and Walhngford, a mile and a half west of Dorchester, and one mile north-west of the ancient encampment on Sinodun Hill. The exact spot whei'e the discovery occurred is on the right hand side of the road leading from Wittenham to Walhngford, about one hundred yards south of the site of the ancient village cross, from which the road takes its name. " The discovery was made by some labourers employed in digging the foundations for a cottage. At about three feet be- low the surface of the soil one of them struck a pickaxe into a human skull, and he subsequently dug out the remainder of a skeleton, lying with the head to the south, and the feet to the north. Over the left shoulder, by the side of the head, Avas an earthen vase which was unfortunately broken to pieces, and of which all the fragments were not collected ; close by the side of the vase was a spear-head of iron, in good preserva- tion, measuring 11 inches in length: on the same side lower down lay a two-edged iron sword, measuring 2 ft. 1 1 inches in length, and 2^ inches across the blade. On the right side was found a small knife or dagger, six inches long, with one edge ; on the breast were a number of fragments of iron, amongst which was apparently the boss of a shield, of conical shape, terminating in a squared projection, rising about half an inch, and measuring about three-eighths of an inch across. On a fragment of iron, Avhich appears to have formed an outer rim to the boss, was an iron stud or bottom, covered with a very thin plate of silver ; of these studs there were four in all ; a fragment of iron which appeared to have formed a circular hoop, ending in a hook, and other remains of various forms and dimension, were also found." These curious vestiges will be readily recognised as mark- ing an interment of the early Saxon age ; and a remarkable conformity in the fashion of the weapons and objects deposited with the corpse, in their relative position in the tomb, and other details, may be noticed in the sepulchral discoveries of this period. The head is usually found to the south ; the iron sword, the entire length being mostly about thirty-five