Barfrestone Grave 47

Middle-sized tumulus. Bones were almost gone; the coffin had passed the fire. On the right side lay the conical umbo of a shield (see Sibertswold, No. 81); three iron broad-headed studs, as often before; iron cross piece, as before; blade of a sword (see Sibertswold, No. 98); and the head of a pilum on the left side of the skull: it had some coarsish cloth adhering to it. Near the place of the strig of a sword was a lump of white feathers, which adhered firmly to each other; they seem like fowls small feathers; they are very visibly what I have ventured to call them, especially if examined with a glass. This is very surprising, if we consider the slenderness of their texture. Here was also a small brass buckle and shank, as before; the blade of a knife; and a small black pebble, exactly of the shape of a button mould [M 6603]; it looks very like a largish chocolate drop: whether it belonged to the persons here interred, or was the natural produce of the soil, I shall not pretend to determine; however, I shall observe that such sort of pebbles are not usually met with in chalky soils. I imagine it to have been picked up among the sea barch, and perhaps saved by its finder on account of its shape. It is, however, a matter of no consequence what it was, unless we could guess at its uses, if it had any. This grave was fully four feet deep.