No. 6, the base also being larger in proportion. Its collar has been ornamented over three-fourths of its circumference, with a loosely twisted thong impressed in diagonal lines, a double row of similar but finer twist appearing as before within the rim. Considerable public interest was excited through these discoveries of remains of so early an age, and of such scarcity in this part of England, and the Library and Museum Committee liberally engaged to recoup Mr. O'Connor for the expenses attendant upon a thorough examination of the surrounding ground. This was effected towards the close of the year, under the writer's superintendence, and the excavations occupied about six weeks. The results were in the main disappointing, for although the number of depositions already found was large, yet these having all been struck by the mere accidents of trenching, leaving considerable intermediate angles wholly untouched, it was felt that several more urns might not unnaturally or unreasonably be encountered during a carefully purposed scrutiny. On the contrary they effectually demonstrated that this group of ossuaries, occupying a space 45 feet by 40 feet, had, whether purposely or accidentally, been deposited nearly in lines, two running east and west, and one north and south; the last and one of the former, by a singular coincidence, became the courses of sewers, whilst the other formed part of the site excavated for cellarage. Such a complete forestalling could scarcely have been suspected, and it proved mortifying enough that no chance was thus afforded of securing a long desiderated perfect urn. The examination in its progress, though tedious, was however by no means devoid of interest, and a sketch of it is now subjoined. Operations were commenced at the further end of the north-west garden, which although somewhat distant from the centre of discovery, it was yet desirable to examine upon at least one side, inasmuch as near Over Darwen, at a very analogous sepulchral site, Mr. Charles Hardwick found one urn forty feet distant from the rest, all which proved to lay contiguously. The trenches were taken in breadths of about eight feet and were carried down to the rock, which was reached at a depth varying from three to five feet, but on this side no traces of any artificial disturbance of the virgin soil below the cultivated surface appeared, with the exception of a block of sandstone, about a foot in cube, which bears longitudinal groovings at irregular distances, as though produced by the sharpening of tools of stone or bone. As not the slightest trace of metal could be discovered throughout the protracted operations, the few instruments occurring being of flint, it is only reasonable to conclude that copper, tin, and iron were unknown to those who here performed the rites of sepulture over their dead. At the north-east corner of the new building a trench, carried outside the sewer (which appears by a double dotted. line in the plan) disclosed the abrupt termination of a line of upright stone slabs, fourteen in number, set closely edge to edge, and which, though varying in size, were in no instance above eighteen inches high. This series of blocks, first noticed in the formation of the sewer upon the east side, was found to take a north-west direction, and their line being uncurved, is most unlikely to have formed part of the sacred sepulchral enclosure. It more probably bordered upon one side a passage, leading from the direction of the old well on the south-east to some temple, village, or possibly another cemetery, at no great distance to the north-west. No artificial markings were observable upon these stones, indeed their small size forbade any expectation of such. Proceeding along the eastern side, immediately opposite the centre of the threshold of the upper house where the urn (No. 3) is said to have been found, the site of the funeral pyre, in which its contents had been cremated for burial, was plainly recognised. A platform, about three feet in diameter, composed of flat pieces of sandstone had first been laid upon the natural soil or sod, on which the fuel was placed for the fire, which had effected their discolouration to a depth of two inches, the smaller ones being blackened throughout. Much the same appearances were presented near the site of the latest found small ossuary, No. 7. As in the former instance the pyre was on the eastward of the place of burial, and the assumed infantile state of the deceased was confirmed by the narrowly circumscribed space occupied by the pyre, which has been appropriately small, and the discolouration of the little sandstone platform was proportionately limited. Near to the position of urn No. 6, that of the pyre lay to the south, and no stone was employed, the fire having been kindled upon the native sandy soil, resulting in its being blackened or other ways affected to the depth of a foot.* The vicinity of each of the remaining outlying urns (numbered in sequence of discovery Nos. 4, 5, 5a) was closely examined, in the last forlorn hope of finding here some additional deposition, but nothing of interest appeared, and even the sites of cremation in connection with these-presuming each to have had one, if a distinct interment-had altogether disappeared through the same sewerage operations by which the urns themselves had been disclosed. A few rude flint instruments, mostly in a fractured state, were picked up on this side. With the exception of a piece of Kimmeridge clay or bituminous shale, found at a depth of several feet below the floor of the eastern kitchen (c), and which, evidencing manipulation, has probably been part of a personal ornament, no * In each of the above cases the site of cremation proved to be below that of the cinerary deposit, consequently the pyre has been placed in an artifical hollow, |