Bekesbourne Grave 29

Grave much as the last. The bones were almost gone; the skull had the frontal suture; no appearance of a coffin. On the left side of the skull was a coarse, narrow-necked, urn of reddish earth; it was broken in pieces in getting out; but by putting the sherds of it a little together, its shape appeared to have been as I have endeavoured to represent it; I guess it would have contained about three pints. Near it (but, I think, under the skull) was a brass pin, or acus crinalis, about an inch and a half long; it has a flatted head. Near the neck were one largish black bead [M 6706], and one small flattish blue one. From about the hips, for about a foot downwards on each side, were many small iron links of a chain. At the end of those on the right side was a small pair of shears; and at the end of those on the left side was an iron instrument [M 6709], about nine inches long; some coarse linen cloth adhered to it. Under it lay what, in the former pages of this Inventory, I have often ventured to call a discus or quoit [M 6707].[1] I never found any of them but in women's and children's graves, and chiefly in the latter, from whence I have been induced to believe that they were a kind of toy; and even here, I believe, I am mistaken in attributing it to the person whose remains I have just now been mentioning, and who, from the particulars found with them, was certainly a woman; for immediately on finding this quoit, we perceived that we had unexpectedly gotten into [Grave 30].[1]It has been previously suggested that these objects may have been spindle-whirls. – C.R.S.