Sibertswold Downs Grave 60

Large tumulus; grave four feet deep, and, though dug like the rest out of the firm chalk, it was not in any part filled with chalk, but with mould. Here was no appearance of a coffin; the bones were almost gone. Near the head was a brass pin without a head [M 6464]; it is about two inches long. Near the neck were four small beads; two slender silver rings, with sliding knots, as before. About the middle of the grave was a brass box [M 6466], rather more than two inches in height; it has a straight arm, or handle, fixed on one side of it, which is furnished with a hinge, or joint, in the middle of it. This box is much of the same shape as a common dredging-box, but smaller; it has two small chains fixed at opposite sides of it, which are each of them furnished with a small pin, the use of which appears to have been to fasten on the lid, namely, by being passed through little loops fixed both to the box and to its lid. Its top, sides, and bottom are punched from within with little protuberances, not so big as a pin's head, in the manner in which I have endeavoured to represent them. At first sight, they appeared as if they had been punched quite through, as if to let out some perfume, but they are not. This box contained some small silken strings, of two sizes; some raw silk, as it seems; some wool, and some short hair; as also some beads, as they seem (for they appear to have been perforated), of a vegetable substance, as I think, black, and shaped like the seeds of the plant which we call Marvel of Peru. Towards the feet were found a great number of small iron links of a chain, as before, rusted together into a lump. Here was also the blade of a knife; a small iron spoon [M 6465]; it is about three inches long, and seems to have had a piece broken off from its handle. Here were also several small pieces of iron, rusted together, which had some very fine linen cloth adhering to them. A woman's grave.