The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-07
ANCIENT MOUNDS IN ENGLAND.
Rare Relies Found In Them-Un,Iis.
turbcd for Centuries.
From The PhiIadelphia Times.

IOul llle I ulldutlptna Times.
Scientific men are deeply interested in
archaeological discoveries just made con-
corning the ancient Britons Thirteen
graves opened at a little place called
Danesdale, near Drihield, in East York
shire. revealed relics that showed that the
burials took place at least a thousand
years before the advent of William the
Conqueror to British soil For so long that
the memory of man runueth not 10 the
contrary the mounds or graves just open
ed have been supposed to be the last rest
ing places OF ancient Danes They were
called the Danes graves" Indeed the
town of Danesdale referred to gained its
name from that suppositon The graves
or mounds are 173 in number. but only
thirteen have thus far been opened. They
are surrounded by forests, and upon some
of the mounds huge trees are growing.
Archaeologists have long believed that
Investigation of the ancient mounds would
lead to important discoveries. 1t was
this sentiment which led the East Riding
Antiquarian Society through Canon
Greenwich of Durham to institute the
inquiry which resulted in opening the
mounds. Deep down in the first mound
opened was found not only the bones of an
ancient Briton, but the iron tire of his
chariot, the iron bit and trappings of his
sign, and enameled The shape of the
grave and the curious curled-up position
of the skeleton left no doubt as TO the age
TO which all belonged, and disposed TO the
satisfaction of every one of the Danish
theory which had so long prevailed
Perhaps the most notable of the relics,
so far as establishing the antiquity there
of is concerned, was the bronze pin. 1t is
a specimen of the earliest known British
enameing and is OF type most peculiar
to the iron period. 1t has peculiar twist
in the shank which makes it's origin an
absolute certainty. It is one of the curious
facts found in British history that pins
such as the one described only existed dur
ing a certain period. Distinct changes IN
articles of this sort were made at a GER
tain point in the development of Britain.
This fact is known absolutely, and, there
fore, this pin settles beyond question the
point as to the time before which is must
have been made
Two other graves were opened at Arras
and Beverly in which chariots were found
and in the one at Arras the tires and
naves of the wheels were complete. Tho
tire are of iron and the naVes of bronze.
There We're also found in these graves an
iron mirror with bronze mountings, the
end of a shank Of a bronze whip, and two
or three rings through which the reins Of
the chariot must have been carried. The
bones found at Beverly had gone to decay,
but at Arras the human remains and the
bones of the horses appeared as fresh as
if they had been buried a hundred years
ago.
The graves referred to as having been
opened were not close together. For in
stance, the places of discovery, Danesdale
and Arras are twelve miles apart The
theory advanced by the archaeologists
who have taken the matter up is that the
district throughout which the mounds are
found was formerly the burying place of
the ancient Britons, probably years be-
fore the Danes attempted the conquest of
the island The relics discovered indicate
that they once wee part of and the prop
erty of leaders among the aboriginal in
habitants of Britain.
There has been dispute for a very long
time between Psychologists as to the oc-
cupation of the territory In which the
mounds were found by the Danes and by
the early Britons One faction of DISPUTE
ants held that the mounds, being accepted
as graves of ancient Danes, were con-
elusive evidence that the Danes were in
possession of the country centuries before
some persons claim TO believe The
second faction held that the Danes had
never held possession of the country, but
that il was for centuries located in the cen
ter of the stronghold of the Britons of
early days.
The formations Of the tires and the naves
Of the chariOtS found also INDICATE MIN
erto unknown communication between
the Romans and the early Britons. The
tires and the naves are almost exactly
similar to those now in the British mu-
scum at London, which are known TO have
been in use in Rome about the same pc
Rod in which the original chariots TO
which the British tires and naves were at
tached sped over the soil Of the island 1t
establishes a new fact in history in refer
once to the relations and power of Rome,
and, while it settles one dispute, makes
seemingly incorrect "A number of asser-
lions regarding the period in which the
burials in the British graves took place
1t is very likely that several more ef
these mounds will be opened for the Dur-
pose of ascertaining whether they are the
resting places Of Britons of a certain cen
tury, or whether, as many believe, the
mounds are located in what was the bur-
al ground Of the leaders of the early Brit
tons for many centuries. Should the lat
ter prove true. il is more than likely that
discoveries will be made which will entire
| ~ change the history of Britain as far as
il relates to that period which led UP to
the Conquest.