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Rh of a rich interment beneath. In the centre of the area covered by the mound, and below the yew tree, was found a rectangular grave that had been cut in the gravel about 6 feet below the original level of the church- yard ; and measured 12 feet in length and 8 feet in width. There can be no doubt that this was the principal interment in the mound, and the grave-furniture proved it to be of Anglo-Saxon date, though there is absolutely no foundation for the belief that it was the tomb of a Viking. Of the skeleton but little remained, but in a straight line, running parallel with the longer sides of the graves approximately east and west, several vertebra? were discovered a little to the south of the centre. These with part of a thigh-bone to the west, and a fragment of jaw-bone containing a tooth to the east, may be taken to prove that the interment was not orientated in the Christian manner. The position of the gold braid, spreading north-west and south-west from a point near the top of the vertebral column, supports this view ; though the iron spearhead which is usually found beside the skull must have been inverted when the burial took place, as the point was found only a few inches from the west end of the grave. At the side of the body had been placed an iron sword, 2½ inches wide and 32 inches long, in a wooden scabbard, with the grip under the arm. In one account this weapon is said to have been on the warrior's left hand, but it is more generally held to have been on the north side, and is so located on a plan of the grave prepared during the excavation. In this connection more than one writer has called attention to Roman sepulchral monuments in the Rhine district representing a horseman spearing a prostrate foe, his sword girt high upon his right side ; and the Roman brooch worn on the shoulder is perhaps represented in the Taplow barrow by a remarkable buckle (fig. i), which seems to have fastened the gold- embroidered garment of wool. It is of gold, in almost perfect preservation, and bears a very close resemblance to more than one specimen from the richer graves of Kent. The hoop is set with garnets backed with gold foil, and two of the cells or cloisons are filled with an opaque substance resembling lapis lazuli. The plate is triangular, two of the corners being marked with cabochon garnets, and the end with a large cell-work boss with slabs of the same stone ; while the central space, round which is a raised border of applied gold wires, is filled with a filagree design representing in a very imperfect and confused manner the animal forms affected by Teu- tonic artists in metal during the pagan period. In the fifth century the treatment was fairly naturalistic, though examples of that date are scarce