Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/430

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412
NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

style bears some resemblance to the Coningsborough tombstone given in the present number of our Journal. Mr. Ord has given a very interesting account of the opening of some barrows in 1843, on Bernaldby Moor, near Erton Nab, and of other British and Roman antiquities in this neighbourhood. Of one of these barrows he says:—"Brown or black loamy earth, fine and powdery, mixed with masses of pure charcoal in dense layers, seemingly of oak, small red burnt stones, and portions of human bones, were alternately thrown up by the workmen, and in this manner our labours progressed till dusk. In this case the men reversed their mode of proceeding, digging a tunnel-shaped passage direct east and west through the centre of the tumulus. We had now (half-past four) gone beyond the middle line, and were about to relinquish the task in despair, when a lad, who was plying vigorously with his spade, cried out, 'Dom it, here's a bit o' carved stean!' and was on the point of aiming a final et tu Brute blow at the precious relic when the narrator leaped down, and arrested the fatal stroke. On examining the place, I found the outline of a noble urn-shaped vessel (see sketch, fig. 2), standing upright, covered with a large shield-shaped stone (fig. 1),

Fig. 1

Archaeological Journal, Volume 1, 0430a.png

Fig. 3
Fig. 2
Fig. 4

Archaeological Journal, Volume 1, 0430b.png

curiously carved in the interior with some metallic instrument, representing, as I conceived, either a rude armorial bearing, or a religious device. . . . With great care and some difficulty (for it was nearly dark) I worked round