Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/57

Rh to about a foot in depth, and we traced the limits of this excavation. At the N.W. corner of the trench it was about a foot and a half long, and about a foot wide, whilst towards the centre it was about a yard square. It contained nothing but soil. We now calculated that we were exactly at the centre of the barrow; we had found no stones above the natural rock, nothing but fine soil, but it now appeared to be much lighter than heretofore. Presently two portions of bones were brought to view; I thought, parts of the os humeri. One of the workmen handed me a small green lump; it proved to be a buckle; the tongue was quite distinct. (See cut, orig. size). From this moment small thin pieces of copper were continually turning up; then a bit of whitish-purple metal, subsequently ascertained to be silver, with interlaced ornament. The workmen had plenty of room, and used their tools as cautiously as possible. In the N. E. corner of the trench there appeared a deposit of bones; we cleared them gently, and found that it was a human skeleton, in a sitting position, but very much crushed together by the weight of superincumbent soil. Directly above it, according to the position thus discovered, were the remains of the shield; a large bronze stud or disk, 2 inches in diameter, was still attached to the wood (see woodcut); another was quickly brought to light, and then appeared a beautifully ornamented silver stud, 1 inch in diameter, quite perfect, with part of a radiating point, still distinct (see woodcut); this also was found attached to a piece of wood by silver nails. At the back of this piece of wood were two ornamental plates of bronze, and a cavity cut out on the surface of the wood, about an inch in depth, with the head of an iron nail or fastening in the centre. These details are shown in the annexed representations. Beyond the bronze studs, on either side of them, we found four silver nails, showing that there had been silver ornaments both on the outside and the inside of the shield. (See woodcut). The bronze studs are ornamented with an interlaced pattern, and appear to have been gilt; some of them had central ornaments, either pearls,