The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-25

struck by lighting have never read any
differently from those taken at other
times
FOUND IN OLD ENGLISH MOUNDS.
Relics That May Cause a Revision of a
Period of English History.
(FroIn the New Orleans Times Demo-
crat.
London. Aug. 6-Scientifc men are
deeply interested in archaeological dis
coveries just made concerning the ancient
Britons. Thirteen graves opened at a
little place called Danesdale, near
Driffield, in Eastern Yorkshire, revealed
relics that showed that the buriaIs took
place at least 1000 years before the adj
vent of William the Conquerer to British
soil.
For SO long that the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary the mounds
or graves just opened have been supposed
to be the last resting places of ancient
Danes. They were calleh the "Danes"
graves" Indeed the town of Danesdale
referred to gained it's name from that sup
in number, but only thirteen have thus
far been opened. They are surrounded by
forests, and upon some of the mounds
huge trees grow.
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 Greenwell of Durham, to insti-
tute the inquiry which resulted in OPEN
ing the mounds. Deep down in the first
mound opened were found not only the
bones of an ancient Briton, but the iron
tire of his chariot, the iron bit and tr ap-
beautiful in design, and enamelled 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 has SO long
prevailed
Perhaps the most notable of the relics.
so far as establishing the antiquity thereof
is concerned, was the bronze pin. 1t is
a specimen Of the earliest known British
enameling, and is of type most peculiar
to the iron period. 1t has peculiar
twist in the shank which makes its origin
an absolute certainty. 1t is one of the
curious facts found in British history
that pins such as the one described only
existed during a certain period. Distinct
changes in articles of this sort were made
at certain point in the development of
Britain. This fact is known absolutely,
and therefore this pin settles beyond
question the point as to the time before
which it must have been made.
Two other graves were opened at Arras
and Beverley in which chariots were
found, and in the one at Arras the tires
and naves of the wheels were complete.
The tires are of iron and the naves of
bronze. There were also found in these
graves an iron mirror with bronze mount
ings, the end of a shank of bronze
whip, and two or three rings through
which the reins of the chariot must have
been carried. The bones found at Bever-
ley had gone to decay, but at Arras the
human remains and the bones of the
horses appeared as fresh as il they had
been buried 100 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 through which the mounds are
found was formerly the Durying place of
the ancient Briton, probably years be-
fore the Danes attempted the conquest of
the island. The relics discovered Indicate
that they once were part of and the
property of leaders among the aboriginal
Inhabitants of Britain.
There has been dispute for q very LONG
time between archaeolog1sts as to the
occupation of the territory in which the
mounds were found by the Danes and by
the early Britons. One faction of disnuf
ants held that the mounds, being accept
ed as graves of ancient Danes, were con-
elusive evidence that the Danes were in
possession of the country centuries before
some persons claimed to believe. The
second faction held that the Danes had
never held possession of the country, but
that 1t was for centuries located in the
centre of the stronghold of the Britons of
early days.
The formation of the tires and the
naves of the chariots found also Indicated
a hitherto unknown communication he
tween the Romans and the early Britons
The tires and the naves are almost exact
ly similar to those now in the British
Museum in London, which are known to
have been in use in Rome about the same
period in which the original chariots TO
which the British tires and nayes were
attached sped over the soil of the island
1t establishes new fact in history in
reference to the relations and power of
Rome, and while it settles one disnute
makes seemingly incorrect number OF
the burials in the British graves took
place.
1t is very likely that several more of
these mounds will be opened for the nrr-
pose of ascertaining whether they are the
resting places of Britons of certain cen.
fury, or whether, as many believe. the
moi1nds are located in what was tho
burial ground of the leaders of the ea Nv
Britons for many centuries. Shonld az
latter prove true, it is more than 1i,, 1nU
that discoveries will be made which 1TijH1
entirely change the history of Britain va, 90
far as it relates to that period which led
I'D to the Conquest. 1e-