Guilton Grave 23

Grave as before, and near four feet deep. The bones all gone, except those of the thighs and part of one arm: a great deal of rotten and burnt wood: the remains of a large and thick coffin: the heads of two hastae, as at No. 1, and plainly on the outside of the coffin, their points reaching at least four inches beyond any of the rotten wood, at the head of it. I am pretty sure they were placed or laid on the lid of it, as they were found on the middle of it, i.e., between the two sides of it; yet with at least four inches of their points, as I said before, reaching beyond the head of it. They had both been wrapped in some coarse cloth, having the same appearance as those at No. 12, before mentioned. The round or hemispherical iron umbo of a shield, as before; to which were fixed four brass rivets, with flat heads, about an inch broad, thinly plated with silver: four broader-headed iron studs, as before: an hollow iron cylinder for the handle, as before: a cross piece of iron, as described at No. 22. A sword-blade [M 6200], exactly like that at No. 10, as also its pommel [M 6201], being nearly spherical, and of brass,[1] and the concavity filled with lead; it has been gilded with gold, and has four small heads, in relievo, impressed upon it; it is two inches diameter, and two inches perpendicular height, if I may so term it; it weighs 5oz. 13dwt. 15gr. A very beautiful brass buckle, gilt, on the tongue of which is set a fine garnet, and on its shank is a triangular piece of gold, neatly corded, or rather, vermiculated; at each of the corners is a gilt, round-headed stud, about the size of a vetch: a shank, like the last mentioned, but without a buckle, with its gold vermiculated plate and studs at the corners [M 6018 & M6019], like that: an oblong square piece of gilded brass, in which also, as in a frame, is set a golden plate, neatly corded and vermiculated, like the former two, with three little holes at each end, by which it has been fixed to something [M 6016]: a piece of gilded brass [M 6017], which seems to have been fixed to the end of a strap, in order to pass it the more easily through the buckle: and two other small pieces of gilt brass [M 6020] [M 6052], which may perhaps have belonged to some part of the hilt of the sword; but I know not what to make of them.[2] Here were also two blades of knives, one of them a little smaller than the other; and several nail-like pieces of iron as heretofore. At the feet, on the outside of the coffin, was an urn of coarse black earth, which would have held about a quart, but fell to pieces in removing, it having, I suppose, received a blow from one of the labourers; it had nothing in it but sand.[1] This pommel is not of brass, but of iron: two, very similar, were found in graves Nos. 56 and 89, and are noted under the latter.- C.R.S.[2] The object here referred to, is, apparently, an ornament attached to the belt; the other is a fragment of a metal termination to a belt.- C.R.S. [resembling M6020]