The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-25
TAPLOW'S VIKING TOMB.
cold Fringe, sword. and Pieces
or Bone thst Recall sne
Ola Morse Times.
From the London Times.l

rona snrnoss those which lie around that
great bend OF the river which passes from
Henley TO Bray. Skirting the wooded
ci,as 81 CIieveden, rich at this season oil
the wear with autumnal tinting, II passes
n,ct,,resoue Maldenhead, and thence runs
througb the broad aIluvial flats when ex.
tend toward Windsor. The chalk niiis OF
C1ieyeden, rising almost precipitously rom
the streams northern bank, turn Sharply
eastward at Taplow Court, and thence ran
perallel to the great highway that passes on
10 London. From these heights the view
ranges over the rich lowlands OF the
Thames Valley. Away to the left the low
ers of Windsor Castle stand up against the
sky. and but few miles further along the
same heights stand the grand cid Deeches
~ Burnbam. But besides these natural
beauties the whole neighborhood teens
with upwritten history. Down there by
the Great Western railway, the low,
level grayels resting on the chalk
contain bones and teeth OF MANI
moth and rbinoceros, and with them
the rudely. Clipped paleolithic flints used
hv tho earliest human inhabitants oil
britain. Above them, as the river allu-
yium accumulated, in the present surface
soil, quaint British pottery ana long cells
or axes of finely Clipped and polished
stone indicate the gradual advancement OF
mankind In the arts that lead 10 ciViiiza-
ton. and also tell that the hunting paieo,,
lifhic nomad had either himself developed
or had been replaced and driven westward
by a superior neolithic race.
Again. in front OF Taplow Court. at the
angle OF the hill, the slopes still bear the
name of the BURY Fields" showing that
there the British Celts had their beorgh,
or fortified hilltop, and the rich, dark soil
contains fragments OF pottery and arti1i-
cially.formed flakes of Hint. When the
ancient Norman church that once stood
there was removed to its present more
central position in the village the traces OF
the old ditch and uditum which formed this
British stronghold were exposed. The
very pond which, Just below 1t, formed
its only source OF water supply, is said
by local tradition 10 have been that In
which heather Saxons were baptized BY st.
Rerinus. The very name Of the village
itself goes back into early history. Tap
low, or Tap-hlewe, is but the "mound on
the hilton" and in the heart OF the OLD
Norman church-yardt the mound still stands.
II was an old occupation site, and possibly
n holy one. in the earliest days. Celt and
Romano Briton certainly lived there, and
early Christendom consequently placed It's
church there. Such survivals are com
mon. Puttenham Church, on the slopes OF
the Hoe's-back, near Guildford, stands on
a Celtic burial-place, and the great temple
of Ayebury, in Wiltshire, now contains
within IFS precincts the Christian Church
Of st. James. Pope Gregory rightly re-
coenized the value Of old associations when
he directed the missionaries he sent TO
the far-off land OF Britain not TO destroy
British temples or holy places, $50 that
while the nation sees that these very same
fanes belonging TO il are not destroyed, II
nav sincerely renounce its error, and. dis
covering and adoring the true God, the IN
babitanfs nav assemble together within
places which they have been usually aecus-
toned to Frequent" The old Morse viking
who. using the silent highway OF the
Thames i'm search OF plumber, must have
died down by Maidenhead, hence found
his resting-place here. On the command
ing heights overlooking the shadows where
his ship was beached his men found
place lofty enough for their leader, and
rich even then in memories; and so, with
many wild chant, he and his treasures
were placed beneath the " hlGwe OF Tap
low, to remain even until now. They
raised a tomb worthy Of their leader and
his wealth. The mound Is 24O feet in cir
conference and about Is feet high, and on
its summit are the dead remains OF an an
cient yew-tree, whose knotted trunk Is
nearly six feet thick, and whose age may
certainly be estimated at possibly 900 years.
All psychologists feel that they owe
debt of gratitude to Mr.. Grenfell. lord OF
the manor of Taplow, and to the Rev. Mr..
Whateey, Vicar OF the parish, for their
freely accorded permission to ascertain the
real meaning OF the ancient mound; and
still more to Mr.. j. Rutland, secretary OF
the Berks Archaeological Society, for per-
sonally undertaking the laborious task OF
and carrying out the exca-
walton. Ii was felt very desirable to
disturb the form and character OF the tu-
mulus as little az possible, so that it might
be eventually restored TO its former exter-
nal condition and, irrespective OF the enOr-
nous weight OF the old yew-tree, which
rendered its removal extremely difficult, Ii
was decided that, II possible, 1t should re-
main undisturbed. But the results have
very fully repaid the care taken, and prob
ably no richer or more instructive discOv-
cry has been made in the south OF Eng
land than that which is now in progress.
A line having been traced due north and
south on the surface, cutting six feet |
on the south side OF the |
mound until it reached the foot OF the |
tree, and thence a shaft was sunk down. |
ward and underneath the root, and united |
with second vertical shaft sunk on its |
north side. The earth material throughout |
the whole OF the excavation was very loose |
and friable, and showed traces OF the way
in which it had been piled up. 1t was
OF the natural red sandy gravel
OF the surface mixed and differentiated with |
black earthly matter; and throughout it
fragments OF bones and teeth OF
horse, pig, and OK, and broken pieces
Of British and Roman-British pot |
terry. One fragment OF Seman ware,
at depth OF sixteen feet, showed |
that Roman vessels had been brought
there, and some pieces of coarse brown
ware had their surface pinched up into
rough knobs similar to those designated
" grape-cups" by Sir Richard Colt Hoare |
in his History OF Wiltshire" Flakes OF
flint and used "scrapers" were also nu-
merous, but there were no decidedly hui |
man bones. All this pointed but to one
conclusion-that whatever the tumulus |
was erected for it was post-Roman.
AT about twenty feet from the top Of the |
barrow its sepuchral character became AT
last clear. In the dark brown earth were
uncovered lines OF gold, and these, on |
being carefully removed, proved to be the |
remains OF gold fringe about an inch wide. |
They lay as II forming the edge OF a gar
ment, extending diagonally downward
from the shoulder across the body. But
all doubt as to the nature OF the inter-
ment was set at rest by finding close
10 this magnificent gold fibula weigh
Ing about four ounces. In length
about four inches, as rich in color as II