The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

THE EASTHORPE TUMULI._

A very interesting investigation has been com-
pleted by the Rev. James Robertson-, of Appleton-
le-Street, North Riding, in the westernmost of a
group of six tumuli ou Amotherby-moor, Easthorpe,
near castle Howard. The mound opened was oval
in shape, being 70ft. cast and west by 45ft. north
and south in diameters, and reduced to 3ift. high.
A previous digging years ago failed to reach the
burials. The form and contents of-the barrow were
altogether unusual. Very little below the surface
of the mound, at the centre, a very large slab of
'Eldenley stone was found, weighing upwards of 21-
c wt. This cover rested on a circle of 5 large blocks
of Easthorpe sandstone, each weighing about 2 cwt.
These covered a central grave of 9ft. diameter, cut
into the sandstone rock. In this grave were four
burials, all overlying each other, the uppermost one
being burnt. In addition to these there were nine
other discoveries in varioas parts of the mound,
showing a curious combination of inhumed and cre-
mated interments, surface and grave interments,
broken human interments, and bones of bodies so
broken that the disagreeable feature of cannibalism
was strongly suggested. Some of the bodies not in
the central grave had been strangely mutilated, and
in a manner that indicated the removal of the flesh
before burial. The skulls showed the brachy-
cephalic type, that of the round heads, or later race
of the Ancient Britons. It is worthy of remark
that in all the previous diggings in tumuli by the
Rev. Canon Greeuwell upon the Howardiaus no
other case of inhumed burials was found. The in-
vestigation showed that the form of the barrow was
not caused by additions to a round one, but that in
the first instance it had been oval. The central
burials may be described thus :—At a depth of 3ft.,
lying upon a pavement of large stones, some of them
burnt, was the body of a young female, lying on the
left side, with the head to the south. The body
was much contracted, and measured only 2ft. 3in.
in length from head to foot (or ancle, the feet being
absent). The length of the femur was only 111. in.
The left hand of this burial was up to the face. The
head was protected by stones, but the pressure of
the cover block of Hildenley limestone had greatly
damaged the skull, the jaws and facial bones being
forced inwards, and some of them protruded through
the orbits. The right arm and hand and both feet
of this burial were wanting, and the lower jaw
showed extraordinary signs of disease, scarcely a
single non-carous tooth being found. This is a most
unusual feature. One foot to the west of the head
of this body was an urn, °mamma:A over nearly
the whole surface with vertical markings, made by
a sharp instrument pressed into the clay and dragged
downwards. The upper surface of the rim was
marked with round punctured holes. This urn was
standing upright, and, strangely enough, contained
the metacarpal and other bones of the right hand
(corresponding exactly with those of the left hand
of the burial), and the metatarsal and other bones
of both feet. The astragali and larger bones of the
feet and the humerus and other bones of the right
arms have not been found. Here is an evidence of
strange and unaccountable mutilation of an unburnt
body. Between the knees and the ribs of this body,
and partly overlying it, was deposited the imper-
fectly-burnt bones of a strong and older person, the
pieces of skull having been collected together* and
placed on the east side of the deposit, and touching
the breast of the uuburnt body. Several pieces of
skull and one orbit were selected. Oue chipping of
flint was found before the face of the unburnt
body.

In the same grave, but 2A ft. deeper, unon a bed
of sand, and covered with sand containing many
larger pieces of charcoal, was another body (of
much stronger build and in good preservation), laid
on the right side, with the head to the south, with
both hinds up to the face. The body and the fe-
ruin formed a right angle, but the heels were
brought up close to the sacrum. The whole burial
was covered with large flags of stone, and smaller
stones were piled round the head. At the back of
the head was a large and much worked flint knife,
and at 18in. behind the body were found a large
flake scraper and another large piece of flint. Below
this the grave ngrrowed to Bft. diameter, and at lift.
still lower a third unburnt (and of course the primary)
burial was found. This was under unburnt body No.
2, and the position was exactly reversed, being on
the left side, with head to the north. The head was
surrounded with stones, but the skull was much
broken and flattened. The right hand was up to the
face,and the heels, as with the previous body, were
brought right up to the back. The bones were very
much decayed, and were lying upon a thick bed of
charcoal, and were covered with 9in. of sand, and
over all a seam of charcoal. In the grave at the
western edge, and 6ft. from the body, was an urn,
having lines of punctures, very much broken and in
bad condition, and a portion wanting. Around it
were several flakes of flint. The other nine disco-
veries consisted of detached parts of bodies, with
urns, flint implements, pavements on which fires
had been kindled, and numerous other details com-
mon alike to most barrows. The tumulus yielded
remains in such varied directions that it was com-
pletely turned over. The five round barrows ad-
joining remain for future examination.

One of the most important recent acquisitions
to the South Kensington Museum is a cast of the
whole of a window in the west front of the church
of the Certosa, at Pavia, which convent was
founded by G. G. Visconti, Duke of Milan and
Lord of Pavia, 1396. The facade of the church,
which comprises on the lowest tier of its lights
four such windows as that in question, was de-
signed by A. Da Fossano, or Borgognone, and
begun in 1473. This artist, being a painter by
produced what may he called a beauti-
ful picture, or rather collection of small pictorial
designs in terra-cotta, and combined them with no
good fortune.
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