Page:Sussex archaeological collections, volume 9.djvu/345

Rh of Sussex marble, three slabs of equal thickness at each side, and two other pieces forming the head and foot of the coffin. A small curved object of lead, resembling a hook, was found with this interment. Another coffin was of lead, which was carefully examined, but nothing was discovered, and it was taken up and buried in another place on the premises. In these two coffins there was little to be seen but slaked lime; all the bones were completely decomposed; the enamel of the teeth alone remained to show that human bodies had been deposited in them. Some of the other coffins likewise had evidently been filled with quick lime before interment. In one instance some remains of linen cloth were noticed, but no sign of human hair in any case. There is no doubt that we dug through the graveyard of the nunnery, and below the bottoms of the graves. We found no remains of walls, only a small portion of a foundation. It is possible that we missed finding other reliques, as the coffins were filled completely with clay, not one of them having the least hollow space within it, and the lids were pressed down very near to the bottom. The position of the bodies was east and west, the head being at the west end of the grave. There can be no doubt that the remains were those of females, from the shape of the crania, the superciliary ridge being less developed than is usual in those of males."

By the kindness of Mr. Hurst, I have been permitted to examine the enamelled cup, an object of highly interesting character, and the other reliques which have been preserved, accompanied by drawings of the remainder. The beads consist of twelve globular pieces of amber, measuring about three eighths of an inch in diameter, and two globular beads of the same material, measuring three quarters of an inch in diameter; also ten oval beads of jet, measuring rather less than half an inch in length. The crucifix found with them is described by Mr. Honywood as of gold; but it may more probably be of silver gilt: it measures 1¾ inch in length; the limbs of the cross have their extremities fleury, to speak heraldically; the workmanship may be of the later part of the fourteenth century, or very possibly later. The gold ring has its head formed with four little knobs, arranged lozenge-wise, each of them set with a little stone, and surrounding a fifth Rh