Sibertswold Downs Grave 151

Under the same tumulus, at the depth of two feet, and on the left side of the man. No appearance of a coffin; the bones almost gone. Near the neck were five amethysts, as before; two large irregular-shaped amber beads; twelve small earthen beads; a small wheel-like brass thing [M 6509], which seems to have been a bead; it may not be improperly called, I think, the skeleton of a bead: some of the thread on which it was strung still remains in one end of the small tube which passes through its centre; it appears now like the wheel of a wheelbarrow.[1] I suppose its vacuities were filled up with some sort of cement, paste, or other matter, to make it of a spherical form; a small brass oblong or rather oval ringle [M 6510],, which I suppose to have been used as a buckle or fibula, perhaps to fasten on the necklace: these all near the neck. About the middle of the grave was the blade of a small knife; at the feet were the remains of a strong wooden box, as before; and among them was found an iron instrument, as at No. 100; to avoid any mistake, however, I give it here. I have found several of them; and as I never have met with them but with these sort of boxes, I conclude that they serve as a sort of lock, catch, or hasp to them. The make of them seems also to confirm this conjecture; they certainly were riveted either to the box or to some other wood. Here were also a large brass pin [M 6511], it appears to have been broken at one end, so may have been much longer: I take it to be only one end of some instrument, perhaps of a stylus scriptorius;[2] the blades of two small knives; four iron corner pieces or clasps, as at No. 56; a sort of double cylinder of iron [M 6512];[3] it has a coat of coarsish linen cloth all over it; see another, just like this, but smaller and made of brass, at No. 24. I have there ventured to call that a whistle, but it is most likely that it is no such thing; but there is no harm in guessing. Here was also the nose of a very narrow necked urn of clear white glass, destroyed, I suppose, at the digging of the grave for the person here interred; its edges plainly shewed that it was not broken now; it was found before we came down to the skeleton by near a foot. A woman's grave.[1]It is difficult to consider this a bead; but less so to believe it may have been the whirl of a spindle.- C.R.S.[2]This is probably a hair-pin.- C.R.S.[3]Compare this with the cut on p. 106, and see the note at the foot of that page.- C.R.S.