"This is only one instance of the value of the Maenhir to the antiquary, in exploring an unknown country; many others might be produced, and with similar results. It will be sufficient to mention another, which occurred in the month of May last, when examining one of the Channel Islands. A line of stones standing upon a plain, at unequal distances, of five, seven, and even twenty-four feet apart, consisting of sandstone grit, extending in an east and west direction, and at one extremity lay two blocks of granite; these prostrate blocks were called Les Porceaux by the peasantry. This name will recall to mind the wellknown collection of prostrate stones, lying upon certain parts of North Wiltshire, where they are known by an appellation, probably given by the herdsmen of that county, in like manner, The Grey Wethers.' The names derived from the appearances of animals, in the mind of the simple shepherd, when viewed from a distance. The space between the two above-mentioned blocks of granite was dug into, and at about a foot deep a kist was discovered, whence mortal remains, pottery, and stone instruments were soon extracted. "It is proper to remark, in mentioning the value of the maenhir to the student in archæology, that there are other upright stones, which stand upon their natural bed, but which have been held by the rude occupiers of the land in great reverence, and around which many a tale of the fairy period still hovers-these are termed needle stones, pulpits, and other names of recent origin. These may, however, have been venerated during the Megalithic period, and like the logan stones and the cheeserings of that day, have contributed to ceremonial rites of a dark and pagan race. They are not, however, pillars of memorial raised by the hand of man, as in the former instances, and are not to be called maenhirs. They can easily be distinguished from them, and are seldom connected with the megalithic structures of the true Celtic period." Proceedings of the Association. NOVEMBER 23. The following associates were reported to have been elected during the recess : Edward L. Betts, esq., Preston hall, Kent. David Salomons, esq., alderman, 3, Great Cumberland place. J. N. Allen, esq., 20, Artillery place. William Palmer, esq., 3, George street, Euston square. The Earl Ducie, Totworth. John Hay, esq., Brewood, Staffordshire. Jas. Newman Tweedy, esq., 47, Montagu square. Rev. Edward Hale, Eton college. James Lewis, esq., Rochester. B. Eveleigh Winthrop, esq., Dover. Thomas Godfrey Sambrooke, esq., 32, Eaton place. William Rutter, esq., Hare court, Temple. Captain Leicester Vernon, M.P., Ardington house, Berks. Henry W. Joy, esq., Maidstone. John Monckton, esq., Maidstone. Hon. Francis Villiers, M.P., Berkeley square. George Augustus Cape, esq., 60, Walcot place. J. R. Jobbins, esq., Warwick court. George H. Bascomb, esq., Chiselhurst. Thomas Sydney Smith, esq., 35, Trinity square, Tower hill. Michael Meredith, esq., Great Winchester street. As foreign members: M. le comte de Laborde, Paris. M. Coste, rue de Rome, 37, Marseilles. M. Dassy, Boulevard du Musée, 15, Marseilles. As corresponding member: George Henry Adams, esq., Rochester. The following presents were received: By the Society of Antiquaries. Archæologia, vol. xxxv. Lond. 1853. 4to. Proceedings of the Society, Nos. 33-36. London, 1852-3. 8vo. Catalogue of the Kerrich Collection of Roman Coins. London, 1852. 8vo. Archæological Institute. The Archæological Journal. Nos. 38 and 39. London, 1853. 8vo. By the Society. Proceedings and Papers of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. Liverpool, 1853. 8vo. By the Smithsonian Institution. Sixth Annual Report. Washington, 1852. 8vo. Portraits of North-American Indians, painted by J. M. Stanley. Norton's Literary Register. New York, 1853. 8vo. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge. Washington, 1853. 4to. Commissioners for Indian Affairs, U.S. History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. By H. R. Schoolcroft. Part III. Philadelphia. 4to. By the Society. Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie, 185053. Three Numbers. Coutumes locales du Bailliage d'Amiens, par M. A. Bouthours, Introduction à l'Histoire Générale de la Province de Picardie, par By the Society. Sussex Archæological Collections, Vol. VI. London, 1853. 8vo. By the Author. Appendix to the Lecture on Colchester Castle. By the Rev. Henry Jenkins, B.D. London, 1853. 8vo. A Plea for the Antiquity of Heraldry, by W. S. Ellis. London, Curiosities of Modern Shakesperian Criticism, by J. O. Halliwell, Observations on some of the MS. Emendations of the Text of View of the History and Coinage of the Parthians, &c., by John Notice des Tableaux et Monuments Antiques exposés dans le Musée Notice des Emaux, Bijoux et Objets divers exposés dans les Galleries du Musée du Louvre, par M. de la Borde. Paris, 1853. 2 tom. 8vo. By Dr. Lee. Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah, by the Rev. J. Turnbull. London, 1853. 12mo. By E. Falkener, Esq. Inscriptiones Græcas in Itinere Asiatico Collectas ab Ed. Falkenero edidit Guil. Henzenius. Romæ, 1852. 8vo. Mr. Pettigrew exhibited various antiquities obtained by him from Mr. Naylor, of Rochester, for a description of which see pp. 407-8, ante. The Rev. Thomas Hugo exhibited a very fine specimen of the rose noble of Edward II, one of the finest examples of the gold coinage of England, found in September last in the progress of some excavations making in Bury street, in the city. The Rev. Thomas Rankin, of Huggate rectory, made the following communication: "On a Sacrificial Tumulus on the Yorkshire Wolds." "In the beginning of June, a young gentleman from Derbyshire and myself, accompanied by three men, opened two tumuli in this parish, which is situated near the summit of the Wolds, and about seven miles from Pocklington. In the same field are five others, some of which had been opened before. We commenced with the largest of the group, which is about 104 yards in circumference at the bottom, about 36 yards in diameter over the crown, and about four yards in height at the centre. The original height must have been about six or seven yards. We commenced in the centre with a shaft of about three yards. Having dug about five feet through a mass consisting of the adjacent soil, mixed occasionally with brown clay, we came to a hollow place, into which the men's spades easily entered. On examining it, we found the bones of a sheep, some of which were much corroded, but the jaw bones and teeth were in a perfect state. It appeared that the entire carcase of a sheep had been buried in a thin stratum of clay. Having dug about a foot deeper, we came to a hard incrustation composed of the adjacent soil, burnt flints, chalk and clay, and a thin stratum of burnt ashes, the produce of animal matter. On digging deeper, we found several sheep bones in a half calcined state. On comparing them with the first found bones, which were in a state of corrosion, we found them much lighter. This arose, I suppose, from the fire having destroyed the gelatinous matter, and rendered them impervious to the moisture. This admixture of bones and ashes and clay we found till we came to the original surface of the soil. We dug about two feet deeper, but nothing besides the original soil appeared. "As this tumulus was not sepulchral but sacrificial, we are left to conjecture the occasion why the sacrifice had been offered. It is worthy of remark that this tumulus is not two miles distant from the site of a Roman encampment at Millington, which is the only one in this neighbourhood, and was probably made by the advanced cohorts of the Roman army, which had pushed forward by the Ermin street road. Between the tumulus and the Roman camp there are the remains of an ancient British camp, which must have been occupied by ancient British soldiers. As a battle between the two armies was unavoidable, the probability is that a druid or druids from Goodmanham, the last stronghold of druidism in this county, offered a sacrifice to propitiate their gods, and to arouse the courage of their soldiers, when engaged with the enemy, for they could see the light from their camp. Upon this supposition, this sacrifice was propitiatory. "But there are two tumuli about two miles north-east from the sacrificial tumulus, which have been evidently piled by the cremation of bodies slain in battle. From the circumstance of part of a Roman ensign, and the knob of the handle of a Roman scimitar having been found there some years ago, the probability is, that the ancient Britons had obtained a victory over the Romans; and from the fact of a British urn filled with ashes being found in the centre of one of these tumuli, and part of a stag's horn, and some human bones, covered with flints, being found in the centre of the other, it may fairly be inferred that both the tumuli had been reared by the ancient Britons on burning the bodies of their comrades which fell in battle. Supposing this to be the correct opinion, then the sacrifice would be eucharistical on account of the victory. These opinions are submitted with a view to elicit what may be deemed a more correct one. "On the same day, another but smaller tumulus at a short distance was opened. The circumference at the bottom was about thirty-four yards, the diameter over the crown about thirteen yards, and the height about two yards. On digging a shaft perpendicularly from the crown, at the depth of about three feet, large flints were found; these being removed, a few horse bones were found, but nothing else. A few years ago, a tumulus, several miles from this, was opened, when similar flints, but many more of them, were found; no bones, I believe." Mr. F. J. Baigent forwarded the following remarks on a leaden token found at Winchester, with notices of dates in Arabic numerals : "The somewhat curious circular leaden token represented in the annexed cut, was dug up in the month of August last, in a garden situated in Hyde-street, Winchester, formerly a portion of land pertaining to the Mitred Abbey of Hyde, of the order of St. Benedict, founded by St. Grimbauld. On one side of the medal are represented entwined. the letters I. S., and on the other is given, in Arabic numerals, the date 1531. It has been suggested that it might be a religious token, and the I. S. intended as a monogram of the holy name; but I know of no medieval example of this being represented by those two letters only, i. e. without the letter H. I am rather inclined to believe this medal, or token, to have been struck to commemorate (perhaps upon his taking possession of the abbey) John Saultcot, the last and most unworthy time-serving abbot of the abovenamed religious community, within whose abbey church rested the bones of Alfred the Great. John Saltcot was elected abbot on the 31st of May, |