The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1859-10-05
Dinaiss n for Dead Mems II Sncs.

A correspondent Of tho London iMsDpum
gives an account Of his expedition to Wiltshire,
TO open ''bauow," or old Roman graveyard,
near Salisbury Plain. The more interesting re-
suits are thus stated
Except tia. the two nounds alnust in . line,
ana had ~ m,tLiug t. de- with the R,n an camps, Or
these grassy IawpaTts ttnt y,u sec about 81 ,n''
hcLge, the Wiltshire men knew cared nothing
about the heap, 10 more than Tor the fine earth tie
moe daily throws up Int" memorial o. it'sab'erra.
ui an history,
" G began on the sou'h side, and cut straight for
tho centre; thoIo finding bones, We worked til We
Lad exhausted that yeini then followed some tracos
Of charcoal, at light angle from tho centre, and
( und mole bones, and some fragments OF very
rude, black, bad'y g!SNd pottory. The men, who
hlthetO had half SUSPECTED that the bones might he
those Of persons who had Died In nr been removed
from rest house for the smallpox, which stood
wild and solitary, some iory years ago, IN an ad-
jacent slOIe-nOw finding the bones very ancient
things, surely" dug with renewed care aud energy
Tie bodies we're bunel very the surface Cf tao
soil, and lad tyldenty been tumbled in IN haste
that Only fear or indifference could produce.
Whether they were the victims Of battle a village
massacre, no one may tel but they were certainly
not buried with the dsceIcy aud religious anxiety
with which In times oi peace, bury away their
d. ad on tRo skulls, observed rude sclr1, a. If
from the edge ofa fnt axe, or some blunt cutting
instrument,
Fut were this all had H. report my letter might
well bo thought lmpertnont. II Is ~ an anatomist
and phrcnolOest that took great pains In securing
a mae skull, that would give mo some clue as to
race therefore made the keepers pick their way
with great care, tO observe how the bodies lay,
aud ~ ace tue position of this bones The ribs,
they stuck through tue clay like bits Of dead stick,
We picked out and CLEANED. The teeth We collected
in as largo pi.cesas possible. Where could Pecod
and mapped together the skulls aud spinal columns
ant luarihn seal, rs put together tine ghasty puG
zle, strangely IOstng with deep thoughts u life and
d.sth 1Ge nat ne 81 the mound SION discOy-
end " was IOOie down earth dug apparently from
be low still vriUle al lining, bey yond Which
| traces Of earth rLuparts and tI0nchss. this was
hesped pile Of fntS, below which you came ~
| the hard surface, chalk, and barr,u gTouad which
had never been dirtaThei. ludsT tho II uts ia stral
CLING confusion, tn black ashy earth layers the
/ scraps Uf pJttory, and the bones and skulls The
l male aud female skulls clearly disting gushable
/ the former wtle small In cavity, and Of immense
| hAI in6ss aud thicknCss-thIec times the rnoder
thiokness as Il Of savage aboriginal men accustomed
| b. 50 barehcaded. The female sG ais were ~ thin
a. the hnest pie-culst and delicate as tern-c u To-
| but equally Intellectually deficient. Although some
OF thu thigh bones caTOus and even eaThy, aud
| had white roIts Of bind weed grown through thell
| tubes DUST as you sec dran-piles chOked up some
tines, obtained one male skull perfect in its from
a. and occipitl portions. The forehead ls lower thai
baboon's, receding and curved In wards, and rathe
sunken. II Is email, but flinty, thick as q negro's
| The teeth, too, many OF them evidently thoss Of
young man In the prime of noaitn, perfect, pur
| white In thir enamel a. any you soc at dentist
j door. The molRrs were unknown, as II nOthlnl
| harder than acorns ever SGT them working. TIL
front teeth were very narrow, long aud sharp, "A
sorry did not preserve any, but they were az as
Gently Iebured. One Of the very iew to Of potter,
| proved TO DO part Of the base Of shallow rudeIy
1 made jsr, unornamented I,who generally see sicI
l want Of imaRinafon great deal too much ilhaS'
natlon In both antiluAnes and ooltnehtatofs,wou'N
net be rash ~ dcduce any theory o' tAoe lIon
sDgie Wiltshire barrow but must 0ohisss 'aa