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ANCIENT BRITISH—ULET, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
Among the stones external to the entrance, about feet above the level of the chambers,
were two human skeletons, and near these, and close to the large stone closing the entrance, the
lower jaws with the teeth of several wild boars, but no other bones, not even the skuUs of these
animals. Some of the tusks measure as much as from 6 to 7 inches on the outer cm-ve. In
the interior, were the remains of thirteen human skeletons, six of which were in the central
gallery. Most of them had been much disturbed, but one, about three feet within the entrance,
retained very much its original postui-e—the sitting or rather squatting—the head having fallen
forward in decay. Another, near the fui-ther end of the gaHery, had been deposited on the back;
neax this were some bones and teeth of a graminivorous animal. In the side chamber. No. 1,
were four skeletons, one of which was that of a woman. Above these, mixed with the stones
and rubbish with which the chamber was filled, were some pieces of coarse earthenware and
charcoal, a few scattered animal bones, and a smaU vessel described as " resembKng a Roman
lachrymatory," but which cannot now be found. In chamber No. 2, were some pieces of
pottery and charcoal, and pai-ts of one human skeleton. In the ruinous chamber No. 3, were two
skeletons. Over this last chamber, and neai- the highest part of the cairn, within about six inches
of the siu-face, was a skeleton lying about N.E. and S.W., with which were three Roman thii-d brass
coins of the lower empire, and described as of the three sons of Constantine. This was doubtless
a secondary interment of the late Roman period, at which time it is possible the interior was
first rifled, from the roof of the chamber having been discovered in making this very interment.
When the cairn was recently re-opened, a heap of human bones, most of them much broken,
was found at the west end of the gaUery : there were no burnt bones. Altogether there were
fragments of eight or nine skulls. Among the other bones, there were two upper dorsal vertebra;
united by anchylosis, and it is to be remarked that two others in the same condition, taken from
the same spot in 1821, are preserved in the Museum at Guy's Hospital. There were also a few
bones of ruminant animals, and portions of the jaws of boars, with teeth and fragments of tusks.
One of the latter had been cut and perforated as if for suspension, as an amulet or trophy.
There were two or thj-ee oyster shells, much decayed, a few fragments of red pottery of the
coarsest kind, weU-bm-nt, but whether of the Romano-British or Medieval period, could not be
ascertained, as no part of any rim or moulding remained. At the base of the cairn, in the
approach to the entrance, two flint flakes were found, one of them darkly stained. As flint does
not oecm- in the strata of the district, these must be regarded, ahnost with certainty, as fragments
of arrow-heads or other implements, of the period when the tumulus was erected. This is an
inference stUl further confirmed by the discovery of two stone axe-heads in the immediate
neighbourhood of the cairn. One of these axe-heads, now in the Museum of Guy's Hospital, is
of flint, the other of hard green stone; they each measure 4 inches in length, by 2 in breadth.
A groat of Edward IV. was picked up diu-ing the recent exploration, by one of the workmen; and
this may perhaps mark the time when the cairn was rifled by some mediseval treasure-diggers.
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Two crania only from the Uley Tumulus have been preserved, and these were presented to
the Museum of Guy's Hospital (see Nos. 3200, 3201) by the late Dr. Ery, who had hhnself
taken them fi-om the chambers. The first, that flgm-ed in our Plate, a fine specimen of its kind,
is the skull of a man, of probably not less than sixty-five. The sutures are more or less grown
together, and in many places completely obliterated. The cranium is of great thickness,
especially m the upper part of the calvarium; the pai-ietal bones, in the situation of the tubers,
(3)
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