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ANCIENT BRITISH SKULL.
EEOM WETTON HILL BARROW, STAPPOEDSHIRE.
(BEG-ION OF THE COBNAVII, TEMP. PTOLEM^I, A.D. 120.)
Cranium from TFetton Hill Barrow.—Quarter-size.
THIS fine and perfect example, so faithMly depicted in the Plate, is derived Ixom the rich
collection of Mr. Bateman, and presents some points of interest for oiu- examination. Its place
of discovery was a laxge Barrow on the summit of Wetton HiU, or "The Cops," whiL is
^tuated m a heautiM neighbourhood, near Alstonefield, on the limits of Staifordshire, borderinc.
Derbyshn-e. On first opening one side of this Baxr-ow in July 1845, a cist, lined with thin flat
Wstones, was found, which contained a skeleton in the contracted position. " At the head were
deposited a rude mstrument of calcined flint; a rib of some large animal, apparently designed as
a spear-head; and another laa-ge bone, possibly used as a hammer*." At this time the search
was abandoned, as the rock was perceived to approach so neai- to the surface of the ground
In the month of May, 1849, a fm-ther investigation of this cairn was determined upon It
was then observed that the prevailing material consisted of laa-ge stones, whilst in some
toec xons it was principaUy composed of very small ones, approaching to gravel. By removinothe
stones for about a yard in depth, azi interment was discovered, first of the present exca!
vation, which had appai-ently been slightly distiu-bed before. This cii-cumstance need not excite
sui-prise, when it is reeoUected that this Barrow must have been repeatedly interfered with for
fresh b^ials. A rude flint arrow-head was the only accompaniment of the dead. The left
side of the skuU which had rested upon the earth, had entii-ely perished, so as to leave only onehalf;
but this stm m a good state of preservation, -even to the slender nasal bone of this sidef
* Bateman-S "Vestigea of the Antiquities of Derbyshire," "Descriptive Catalogue of the Antiquities, &c. in the Museum
p. 83 1848. t It .s eoutamed m the Bateman Museum, of Thomas Bateman," p. 117, 1855 We mayprorablvheIT
and IS the one referred to under number 149* 0 in thi tn ;„„i 1 « • "" 'yP™™' ' ^ be able
J2 limuer 14.. I., m the to mdude a figure of this skull m our series of lithographs.
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