Washington sentinel., 1898-02-05
The secret or a Grave.
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long known as Dandsdale. In this
valley, among the trees, are a num-
Der OF mounds, which are known
to be graves, and which had got
the name OF Danes Graves. The
owner OF the dale was averse to
any investigation, from a motive |
everyone must respect-that OF |
fear lest the remains should not be
treated with reverence. However,
in 1881, a storm blew down several
trees in the dale, and in uprooting
them left some mounds exposed.
It was now seen that the pottery in
the graves was not Danish. neither
in shape nor fabric, and that the
bodies were buried in ancient
British fashion, with the knees
pulled up towards the chin, and
the arms more or less doubled so
as to admit the hands being placed
on the heads, and it became almost
certain that the graves were not
Danish, but British. In
time the property changed hands,
and the new owner did not share
the reluctance Of the former one to
allow investigation to be made.
Accordingly, a number OF anti
quarians, armed with pick and
shovel, set to work and opened
thirteen Of the mounds. In some
nothing was found, in others only
human remains were discovered,
but in one which was supposed to
be that of the chieftainess of the
tribe, was found two wheels of her
chariot. the bits Of her horses, a
dress fastener Of bronze, and
beautifully enamell d iron pin.
Some may be interested to learn
how one arrived with any degree
OF accuracy at the date OF the grave.
Well, il was possible to identify
the people who used polished an
struments OF stone with the long
headed race whose skulls were
frequently discovered. These
people we're conquered by round
headed race of people who intro
duced the use OF bronze into Brit
ain. It was from what was found
buried in the graves with them
that the deductions are made.
When the teeth were ground fiat
like horses, it was evident the
owner ate his food much like a
horse does; when he knew how to
use iron he hunted prev. and ate
his meat with teeth shaped like
ours. When he used only stone
implements, it was customary to
bury flint aTrowheads and battle
axes with the corpse; b"t after
stone gave place to iron, it is only
iron weapons that are found. or
course no man living would ven-
ture to lay down the dates with
mathematical precision, but there
is no reason to doubt the early il on
using people came into England
(probably from South Germany
about 100000 B. c. Ii that be true,
one secret that the grave contained
was that those ancestors OF ours
who met Caesar were no painted
savages, smeared with woad, but
men who had clothes on their
backs, and we'll made weapons in
their hands, and chariots to carry
| them. Tiirr~ was no trace OF shs
| scythe said to be attached to the
/ wheels which did such execution
upon the legs Of the enemy, nor
has any such been found. Enough
was found to show how mistaken
we haye been on one point-viz.
the equipment Of those Of our fore
fathers who encountered Julius
Cesar. The skeleton found was
that Of woman-a woman with
her chariot and charioteer, EVi.
IDENTIFY she was woman Of import
ance, probably a chieftaIness Of a
tribe.
Who first discovered enameli
nobody knew. The Roman orna
ments bore no trace Of it before
Casar's invasion oi Britain, bu
many traces have been found a
Pompeii and elsewhere, showing
that after their intercourse with the
British the use Of enamel becam,
known. Were we face to face witt
the discoveries Of enamel at these
early British graves7 Certainly
no other origin could be suggested
and in the beautifully enameleC
pin found within the mound there
was the indisputable fact tina
enamel was known in Britain tive
hundred years before the Roman
landed there. FIncy a question
which has long puzzled men beint
solved las possibly it was) at thi
grave! The grave also contained
a secret of religion. What was tn,
meaning oi the charioteer ant
chariot, and the bits OF the horse
which were found buried in tn
grave2 They proved a belief in
future world, and those who burieC
the woman thought these thing
would be OF use to her in the new
abode she was journeying to
Indeed it would hav,
been singular if we had not iount
traces OF such a belief. For Home
lived 100 years before thS anCiGn
Briton we have been unearthing
and he certainly knew of anothe
world-the world of spirits.
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