ccii
Journal of Proceedings.
suitability of chalk for such excavations tending to hinder recognition
of their true purpose.
To return to the Saffron Walden cemetery. Mr. Smith's observations
as to whether an ancient British village once existed at this spot are of
an extremely dubious character. We learn from the remarks previous
to the mention of the cylindrical shaft that there is no distinct evidence
of one ; while, in those which follow, the former existence of an ancient
village is assumed on account of " the occurrence in the neighbourhood
of ancient British pottery of several kinds"; also as a centre of the
ancient lime-trade. On a review of the whole, however, it is obvious
that the absence of any positive evidence of the previous existence of a
British village on the site of the ancient cemetery is in no way counter-
balanced by the occurrence of ancient British pottery " in the neigh-
bourhood."
It appears to me much more probable that these various hollows are
sepulchral, and I cannot but feel some surprise that Mr. Smith has not
given even the briefest consideration to the discussion of ancient burial
customs in treating of the peculiarities of au ancient cemetery. Of
course the county most likely to furnish evidence on this question is
Wiltshire, and the geological formation the Chalk. On opening
Murray's ' Handbook to Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset,' I notice the
remark: "At Winterbourne Stoke round hollows were found sunk in
the Chalk near the bones—perhaps as receptacles for food and drink."
And turning to a well-known, but much less accessible, authority, the
' History of Ancient Wiltshire,' by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, the following
remarks seem worth quoting. In describing a very singular tumulus on
the south side of Durrington Walls (No. 121), he says : " On reaching
the floor of the long barrow we found a circular cist like a little well,
but it contained no interment ; from this well-like cist a tunnel, like a
chimney, ascended nearly to the top." And a little north of Chidbury
Camp, Sir Richard investigated many barrows. Of one (No. 5) he
states : " In this barrow we found a deep cist cut in the Chalk, but no
interment." Of another (No. 9), "We perceived near the surface the
fragments of a rude unornamented urn with a small interment of burned
bones ; and lower down a deep cist cut in the chalk and empty," &c.
Again, in the same locality, we read : " No. 11 presented only a vacant
cist," and . . . "In No. 20 we found at the depth of 4 feet 9 inches
from the surface a cist excavated in the chalk 3 feet, at one edge of
which was a sepulchral urn, 11 inches in height and 8 inches in
diameter, deposited with its mouth upwards, and containing an inter-
ment of burned bones." No. 21 is said to have been "a large barrow in
which there was a cist excavated in the chalk of 61/2 feet in length, 6 feet
in width, and 3 feet in depth ; but we were once more disappointed in
rinding it empty." On leaving the group of barrows, Sir B. C. Hoare
remarks : " Before I quit this group of tumuli, I cannot help remarking
the singularity of having found so many empty cists; a singularity