Eweleaze Barn, quadruple bell-barrow (SY/650871) 1 mile S of Winterborne St Martin, by track from B3159 SW to Friar Waddon.

Though still (1975) awaiting proof by excavation, this group of mounds appears to be the only quadruple bell-barrow in England. There is a fifth barrow, a bowl. a few yards further S and in the same alignment. All 4 bell-barrow mounds are
62-84 ft. in diameter and 7-8 ft. high. The ditch which appears to enclose all 4 is 15 ft. wide and separated from them by a berm 8-9 ft. broad. Date, c. 1,700 1,400 BC.

Deverel Barrow, round barrow (SY/819990) 1 mile NE of Milborne (A354), between Dorchester and Blandford; between Bagber and Deverel Farms. Finds in Dorchester Museum and Bristol Museum.

This barrow has a modern wall built around it. It was a bowl-barrow, with a mound 3 ft. high and about 40 ft. in diameter.
It was excavated in 1824 by W.A. Miles (whose initials can be found carved on the two large stones on the mound). Near, but not at the centre, a cremation was found in a collared urn. This gives the barrow a date c. 1,700-1,400 BC. Later, c. 1,250 BC. over 20 cremations were added to the mound which may have been enlarged to receive them. Many of these had been deposited in Middle Bronze Age barrel and bucket-shaped urns: most were found in pits, with stone slabs covering them.

Clandon, round barrow (SY/656890) 2.25 miles SW of Dorchester, 0.25 mile E of Winterborne St Martin and the B3159 from Upwey to the A35. Finds in Dorchester Museum.

This is a large bowl-barrow, over 80 ft. in diameter and nearly 20 ft. high. It contained one of the richest and finest groups of grave offerings in Wessex. The barrow was dug in 1882 and its main burial never reached. Above this, however, there was a pile of flints among which were a bronze dagger, a lozenge-shaped gold plate, a shale mace-head with decorative gold studs, a cup carved from a lump of amber and a pottery incense cup. These belonged either to the primary burial or to a cremation added later. Above these there was another cremation deposited in a fine collared urn, and near the top there were 2 skeletons in stone-lined graves which may be Romano-British or pagan Saxon.
The gold lozenge plate should be compared with that from Bush Barrow, Normanton (Wiltshire). Parallels in shale to the amber cup have been found in Wiltshire (in Salisbury Museum) and also in amber from the Hove Barrow (Brighton Museum).
The mace-head is one of the most remarkable objects of this period in Britain. It is cushion-shaped, perforated to fit on to a wooden handle and with five gold-covered conical plugs let into it. It suggests that at least 1 burial in this barrow is that of a chief. Date, c.1,700 1.400 BC.

Bradford Barrow, round barrow (ST/981046) 3.5 miles NW of Wimborne Minster (A31, A341), 1.5 miles NW of Hinton Parva (B3078): track from Witchampton.

This is perhaps the largest bowl-barrow in Dorset. It has a diameter of over 100 ft. and a height of 20 ft. There is a surrounding ditch. Its conical outline might suggest that it is Roman. Otherwise, it would belong to the period 1.700 1,400 BC.

August 1st, Heytesbury 1803.
THE tumulus opened last Thursday in Upton Lovel parish, is situated a few yards north of the river Wily. It is of a pyramidical form, the base length 58 feet by 38 feet wide [g] and 22 feet in the slope, and stands from east to west. The northside of the barrow is extremely neat, the fouth side is much mutilated. On making a section lengthways on the barrow, at about two feet deep we found in a very shallow cist, human burnt bones piled in a little heap; and at the distance of a foot a considerable quantity of ashes which contained small fragments of human bones; above, and at two feet distant from the bones were found the following articles of pure gold, which are neatly wrought, and highly burnished, viz. about thirteen gold beads made in the form of a drum, having two ends to screw off and perforated in the sides; [i] 2ndly, a thin plate of the same metal 2.25 inches by 5.25 inches; this is very neatly ornamented, as you will see by the annexed drawing: [k] 3dly, a beautiful Bulla (as I conjecture) of a conical form; [1] the inside of this is a solid cone of wood, the gold -which completely covered it is very thin ; at the base are two holes for a thread or wire by which it was suspended; near the above were found four articles, viz. two of each, that appeared once to have covered the ends of slaves. [m] Among the gold ornaments lay several flat pieces of amber, the eighth of an inch in thickness, and about an inch wide ; there were all perforated lengthways, but were sadly broken in getting out. What is very extraordinary, there were also nearly one thousand amber beads of different sizes. Close to the pile of ashes we found a very small urn, a lance-head of brass, and a pin of the same metal. The urn is of a very extraordinary form, appearing exactly as though it had been stuck all over with small black grapes. In this barrow, contrary to the usual method of interment on the Downs, which are on or in the native soil, we found the cist nearly on the top; and this deviation was probably occasioned from the wetness of the foil, being near the river, or it might have been the manner of interring their great chieftains. From the vail quantity of beads, it might be conjectured that a female had been interred here, but it is well known that our British chiefs wore pearls, beads, etc. On some of the coins of Conobeline we fee beads or pearls on the head. We find in other respects similar method of interment to what we find in many other barrows ; the small urn, lance-head of brass, brass pin, etc. are common. From the profusion of valuable ornaments, for valuable they must have been at the period of their interment, we might rationally conclude this barrow to have been the sepulchre of some great chief; in all probability a chief of the Belgic Britons.

TUMULUS XX (AW 98) Copy of a letter to H.P. Wyndham Esq July 28th 1803.
Sir I have this day opened a barrow in Upton Lovell it is situated in the meads a few yards north of the river Wylye. As the discoveries in this barrow are more important in their nature than any other ever yet made I hasten to inform you the particulars. This Barrow of a pyramidal form or rather like the common of houses, pointing East to West, is in the base 52 by 32 feet, the slope 22ft, the length on the top 22 feet. The North side of the barrow is extremely ? the south side is much mutilated. On making a section lengthways of the barrow, at about two feet deep we found in a very shallow cist human burnt bones piled in a little heap, and at a foots distance a considerable quantity of ashes, which also contained small fragments of human bones, upon which and at two feet distant from the bones were found the following articles of pure gold, which are neatly wrought and highly polished, viz about ten gold beads* made in the form of a drum ? two ends to ~off and perforated in the sides..see Plate XI fig 5 ~.a thin plate of the same metal# nearly 9 inches by 6 inches long , this is very neatly ornamented as you will see by Plate XI fig ?. by a beautiful Bulla of a conical form, see fig 3 in the same plate- and inside this is a solid cone of wood, the gold which completely covered it is very thin, at the base are two holes for a thread or wire by which it was suspended see fig 4. near the above were found of gold four articles viz.. two of which that appeared once t have covered the ends of staffs (some of my friends say they are small boxes. see plate XI fig 1 and 2. Among the gold ornaments lay several flat pieces of amber, about the eight of an inch in thickness , and about an inch wide, -they were all perforated lengthways but were sadly broken in getting out. (see plate two fig 2 when joined they were the exact form of those found in Deverell Barrow only bigger). What is every extraordinary there were also nearly one thousand amber beads of different sizes see Plate X fig 2.- Close to the pile of ashes we found a very small urn see Plate X fig 1. Also a lance head of brass and a pin of the same metal-see the same plate. The urn is of a very extraordinary form, appearing as though it had been studded all over with small black grapes. In this barrow, contrary to the usual custom of interment on the Downs, which is generally on, or in the native soil we found the cist nearly on the top of the barrow and this deviation was probably occasioned by the wetness of the soil, the barrow being near the river. We find in other respects a similar method of interment to what we find in many other barrows, the small urn, lance head of brass, brass pin etc are common. From the profusion of valuable ornaments, for valuable they must have been at the period of their interment, we might naturally conclude this barrow to have been the sepulchre of a great chief of the Belgic+ Britons. + Mr Coxe objects to the word Belgic, suppose we say a British chief near the time of Caesars invasion.

On the northern banks of the river Wily is a barrow, which from the nature and richness of its contents we have denominated the GOLDEN BARROW. It was opened for the first time in the year 1803. At the depth of two feet we found a little pile of burned human bones placed in a shallow bason-like cist., and at the distance of one foot from the bones was a considerable quantity of ashes intermixed with small fragments of burned bones. About two feet from the pile of bones, the following articles were discovered. 1. Thirteen gold beads made in the form of a drum, having two ends to screw off, and perforated in two places on the sides for the purpose of stringing. 2. A thin plate of the same metal, six inches in length, and nearly three in width, richly wrought, and perforated at the four corners. 3. Another ornament in form of a cone, decorated with circles and zigzags, and fitted closely to a piece of dark wood, like ebony, on which the marks of the pattern still appear impressed ; the bottom part of this article is also perforated. The above are all of pure but thin gold, neatly worked, and highly burnished. The large flat plate must have been, like the cone, strengthened by a strip of wood behind; and the whole, by their several perforations, are strongly marked as forming the decorative accoutrements of some distinguished British chieftain. Besides the above, were two small articles in gold, resembling little boxes, about an inch in diameter, with a top, in the form of a cone, to take off. I cannot conjecture to what purpose these were appropriated, as they bear no sign of perforation. The whole of these have been correctly drawn of their original size, and form the interesting contents of TUMULI PLATE X. Besides the above precious articles of gold, we discovered some large plates of amber, similar to those delineated in TUMULI, PLATE ITI. and above a thousand beads of the same substance, and of different sizes; also a curious little cup, studded over with projecting knobs, which appear to have been first made in the form of glass stoppers to a bottle, and afterwards inserted into -the circular holes of the CLIP, which had been previously drilled -fur receiving them : between these grapelike protuberances are other perforations, which still remain open. Such was the result of our researches in the year 1803 ; but not being completely satisfied, and still thinking that the primary interment had escaped our vigilance, I was anxious that a further trial should be made, which took place in July, 1807, and was attended with success ; for, on the same level, and within a few inches of the very spot where the golden trinkets and the amber beads had been found, we discovered two cups, the one placed within the other. The largest of these was covered with a profusion of zigzag ornaments, but on taking out, was unfortunately broken to pieces ; the smaller one, containing about a pint, is quite plain, and in good preservation. These cups, together with the necklace of amber beads, and a small lance head, and pin of brass, which were found near the pile of ashes in the same barrow, form the contents of (TUMULI, PLATE XI.) Still pursuing our excavations to the floor of the barrow, we there found an oblong cist, about eighteen inches deep, which contained a simple interment of burned bones, unaccompanied with either arms or trinkets. This was certainly the primary funereal deposit ; but, however rich in materials, or elegant in form, the articles found nearer the surface of the barrow may be deemed, their high antiquity cannot be disputed ; for although the grape cup exceeds in beauty and novelty of design any we have as yet discovered, the other two cups of unbaked clay, and rude workmanship, bespeak the uncivilized aera to which the construction of this sepulchral mound may be justly attributed.

While attempting to gain access to a rift at Slaughterford, Wilts, in 1922, Capt. Guy St.Barbe dislodged a quantity of earth in which he found numerous human bones and remains of various domestic animals ; he spent some days in carefully collecting all available material and submitted a report to Sir Arthur Keith. In spite of Capt. St. Barbe's vigilance at this time, some boys visited the spot and removed a large number of bones; fortunately, however, most, if not all, of these found their way to the Devizes Museum. In the autumn of 1924. Sir Arthur Keith requested the Speleological Society to assist Captain St. Barbe in the excavation of the site. In January, 1925, the work was begun.

The site consists of a seventy-five foot long vertical rift in the oolite cliff at the top of a steep slope overlooking the river, 520ft. west of B.M. 198.4. near the Slaughterford Paper Mills, on the 6-inch Ordnance Survey Map, Wilts, Sheet XIX., S.E. ; the site is here marked "Cloud Quarry," but it does not seem to be known by that name at the present day. Extensive quarrying of the oolite along the top of this hill was performed several hundred years ago, and it is said that stone for building Malmesbury Abbey was obtained here.
The rift nowhere reaches the surface of the ground above, as it is covered by 10ft of undisturbed rock. The northern end has been fully exposed by quarrying so that it is impossible to say whether the rift became much wider at that end, what the original entrance was like, or where it was situated.
The lower levels of the rock, which are of superior quality, have been undercut, thus producing a cave-like appearance; this is represented by the dotted line on the plan. The floor of the rift was some 12ft. above the level of the ground, so that it could only be entered by a somewhat perilous climb up the face of the cliff. Plate I. is a view of the north end of the rift; the trees in the foreground stand within the quarried area; the undercutting at the foot of the cliff and the precarious nature of the overhanging strata are plainly visible.

Excavation
The material fallen from the end of the rift was sorted and excavation of the undisturbed floor begun; this was attended with great difficulty on account of the darkness and narrowness of the passage, the average width being less than 2ft. The stratification was as follows:—

(a) Two feet of dark earth, with the debris of countless jackdaws' nests.
(b) A layer 1ft. deep, containing charcoal, burnt bones, pottery, and human remains, etc.
(c) Barren clayey soil with loose stones and boulders extending to the ground level.

A trench was also dug to a depth of 8ft. at the south end of the cliff; this showed that his end had also been quarried, and no signs habitation were found.

The main rift could be entered at the south end, but it was not possible to get right through on account of some large boulders with which it was not safe to interfere. The earth deposit ended at a point 29ft. from the north end so there was no object in attempting to force a passage.
The small rift was explored and opened up at its north end, so that it became possible to crawl through; it was in a "chamber" here that Capt. St. Barbe found some fragments of flint, including a rough blade; similar flints are to be found on the field above the cliff, and, in the absence of any possibility of this part being occupied at any time, they must have fallen in during quarrying operations.

Finds.
These include those found originally by Capt St Barbe, those obtained during the excavations, and the bones which were sent to Devices Museum; for the last I am deeply indebted to the Committee of the Wiltshire Archaeological Society who have kindly presented them to the Speleological Society.

Human Remains.
Four adults and three children. It was possible to reconstruct a large part of one of the adult skulls, and it is on this that Mr. L. H. Dudley Buxton has written the report which is published in this issue. Many other bones, besides skull fragments, were found, but these present no points of particular interest. One of the adults, judging from a mandible which shows signs of absorption, was an old man; the other three were probably middle-aged; the children were aged about four, six, and eleven years respectively, these figures being arrived at by examination of unerupted teeth.

The human bones were found from the entrance of the rift to a point twenty-six feet in, where the passage became narrowed, and there was a turn to the left : no daylight penetrates beyond this point. At this corner there was a large flat stone lying obliquely across the passage, and it was under this that the frontal bone and other skull fragments of the eldest of the children were found.

Artifacts.
A few rough pot sherds with charcoal and burnt bones were present in the occupation level for a distance of twenty feet from the entrance. Only two pot fragments could be fitted together: they represented part of the brim and side of a vessel three inches in diameter; no part of the base was recognisable.

The paste is over three-quarters of an inch thick, coarse and black throughout, containing many white granules and fragments of snail shells; the pot is hand-made and devoid of decoration; the rim is slightly incurved, and the sides slope uniformly inwards without a shoulder; the outside is coated with a thin layer of oolitic mud which has evidently formed since the pot was deposited in the rift.

Rim fragments of two other vessels were found; the first is of the same material as that just described, but is thicker and belongs to a larger vessel; it bears two faint indented lines, but these do not seem to be part of any scheme of decoration; the rim is incurved, flat on top, and has a slight lip along the inner side. The second fragment is of finer material and belongs to a vessel roughly six inches in diameter; it also is hand-made, of a reddish clay, containing many granules and shell fragments; there are traces of a horizontal incised line one-eighth of an inch below the rim, marking it off from the body; the rim is incurved and flat on top. This pot bears some resemblance to a type found at Fifield Bavant, Wilts.
A few sherds of another vessel, with a thin layer of red clay on the outside, were also found; the paste is of the same nature as those described above, but is rather less thick.
All the fragments would appear to be ordinary domestic ware; they are certainly referable to the Early Iron Age, but whether Hallstatt, or early La Tene, it is difficult to say. The only other artefact was a chalk bead which consists of a roughly circular nodule of chalk, flattened unevenly on either side and bored cleanly through the centre.

Animal Remains.
A great many bones and teeth of ox, apparently belonging to one individual ; the distal ends of many of the ribs have been cut off by blows with some sharp instrument ; only a few of these show signs of charring by fire, but the long bones are split longitudinally. Wild boar and sheep bones are plentiful. Other animals include, badger, weasel and recent voles, mice and shrews, rats and (?)otter.

Several jaws of a large species of dog have been identified by Mr. J. Wilfred Jackson as being " of the same type as those from Glastonbury Lake Village and the Early Iron Age sites at All Cannings Cross, Fifield Bavant, and Swallowcliffe Down, Wilts; it is the type of Canis familiaris described by Rutimeyer as "House-dog of the Stone Age," and among present day races the type is represented by the hound or by the setter or pointer. There were no "fancy" breeds in prehistoric times, but dogs of general utility to the herdsman and hunter."

The birds do not call for any special notice, as they are such forms as may be living in the district at the present time, viz.: Song Thrush, Redwing, Blackbird, Robin, House Martin, House Sparrow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Skylark, Brown Owl, Blackcock, and Pheasant. All identified by Mr. E. T. Newton, F.R.S.

The molluscan remains include : Pomatias elegans, Mull, Clausilia laminata, Mont., Polita cellarina, Mull., and Goniodiscus rotundatus, Mull.

Conclusions.
The rift represents part of a site occupied by people with an early La Tene or Hallstatt culture. Mr. Buxton's observations upon one of the skulls (q,v) suggests that they may have been descendants of the old Neolithic people.
There is no evidence of a definite burial for any of the human bones, and, on the other hand, there has been no fall of rock within the rift which might suggest that their presence was due to a catastrophe; they certainly did not merely fall into the rift so it is only left to suppose that this was the back of a larger habitation, the major part having been removed by quarrying.

My very grateful thanks are due to Mr. A. Jones, of Manor Farm, Slaughterford, owner of the land, for his kindness and hospitality at all times, and to the Rev. H K. Ketchley, of Biddestone, for providing labour on two days when the work was particularly difficult.