Page:VCH Derbyshire 1.djvu/354

 A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE These graves were usually filled with tempered earth, and the height of the barrow was often increased by a capping of earth. The scattered bones of more ancient interments, displaced when digging the graves, have frequently been noticed in the soil above. 1 The introduced interments, being as a rule superficially placed, have suffered much ; in fact, in many a barrow all that remained to the explorers to tell of their former pre- sence was an iron knife, a brooch, or other article of the period. Through the omission of the describers in some cases, and the ex- cessive decay of the skeletons in others, it is only possible to state the position of the body in about half of these barrow interments. It is evident that the prevailing mode was to lay the body at full length on the back with the head to the west. While nineteen are specified as stretched at full length, only five or six are described as lying on the side in a flexed attitude ; while of those nineteen eight are said to be on the back, only one is said to be on the side, and with regard to the direc- tion of the head, out of seventeen specified cases twelve had westerly directions ranging from north-west to south-west. The usual articles associated with the male skeletons are as follows : The most frequent is an iron knife, which is usually found near the hip, showing that it was attached to the belt. The blade varied from 4 to 8 inches in length and was fixed into the handle, which appears to have been of wood, by a long tang, and occasionally the re- mains of a sheath have been found. An iron spear is also frequently present. The usual position is near the head with the point upwards ; and on several occasions portions of the wooden shaft have remained. The sword is less common, having been found with only three Derby- shire interments. In each case it was associated with arms and other objects which indicated the grave of a man of rank. These weapons are double edged, about 2 inches wide and from 32 to 36 inches long. Two retain portions of their wooden sheaths, covered with leather, embossed in the one case and having silver fittings in the other. The shield or war-board is more frequent, occurring with five or six interments. The central iron boss or umbo, which provided a hollow to receive the hand, is usually the only remaining portion. An earth-barrow opened on Lapwing Hill near Brushfield in 1850" supplied an excellent example of a warrior's grave. In the shallow rock-grave beneath this mound were the decaying remains of a strong bier or coffin, to the construction of which clenched nails had contri- buted ; and upon it were traces of a hide. Upon this couch but whether before or after it was placed in the grave is not clear the dead warrior had been laid at full length, clothed and armed, with his head towards the setting sun, his sword and knife at his left side, two spears on his right, and his shield lying flat over the middle of his body. The remains of another warrior similarly equipped were found in opening a small barrow at the same village twenty-five years earlier. 8 1 Human bones in this position have been regarded as those of slaves sacrificed at the graveside. 268
 * Digging!, p. 68. * Vestiges, p. 27.