South Stack and Porth-y-Capel. The tenant of the late Lord Stanley of Alderley, Mr. Roberts, was occupied in collecting stones suitable for the construction of some farm buildings. Near the road leading to the bay there was a small mound that had originally been, in all probability, of greater elevation. Its dimensions were, at the time of the discovery, about thirty feet only in circumference. It seemed to have been lowered on some previous occasion, and an enclosure-wall formed adjoining to the mound, or partly crossing it, by which the shape of the hillock had been changed. At this spot Mr. Roberts had directed a stone of some considerable size to be removed; and on its being displaced, an urn, described as resembling a beehive, was exposed to view beneath it, within a cist formed of stones set edgeways. This unfortunately crumbled to pieces, a few fragments only being preserved, of which the largest is here figured, shewing the unusually elaborate ornament within the hollow lip of the vessel, here shewn in the inverted position in which it had been placed in the rude cist.1 (See woodcut, fig. 2.) The urn was of coarse, light brown

Fig. 2.-Fragment of the large Urn found at Porth Dafarch

coloured ware, and ornamented with a trellised or lozengy pattern around the rim, and also on its inner margin,

1 The inner side is rarely ornamented with so much care in urns of this description. In some more elaborately worked vessels, such as that found by Mr. Fenton on Cwm Cerwyn, Pembrokeshire, the interior of the mouth is scored or impressed with no less care than the outside. (Hist. Pembrokeshire, p. 350, pl. 1, fig. 1.)

produced apparently by impressing a cord of twisted fibre or of sinew, possibly, upon the clay when in a moist state. The decoration, however rude in design, is remarkable for its regularity. The neck of the urn is fashioned with several grooves or parallel flutings of equal width, with impressed markings that seem to have been produced by a little toothed implement, about half an inch in length, and are arranged in alternating order so as to present a zigzag effect. The surface of the ware is of a dingy brown colour, that extends only through a slight crust; the interior, as is usually found in these imperfectly baked vessels, being dark coloured, and deficient in compactness. The strongest parts of the fragments that have been preserved measure nearly seveneighths of an inch in thickness. It is probable that this large urn, which had been placed, as already stated, in an inverted position, had become decayed by moisture and proximity to the surface, the deposit being less than two feet beneath the sward. It had, however, been supposed that it was open, or rather, that previously to its being placed in the cist, the bottom of the inverted urn had been broken off, and the aperture closed by the flat stone which first led to the discovery. It may seem more probable, however, that the vessel had been placed entire, with the mouth downwards, on a flat stone forming a sort of floor; the base, thus inverted, being protected by a slab laid over it when the mound was raised. This part of the urn, placed nearest the surface, had become decayed and crumbled away, owing to the moisture of the soil and the superincumbent weight.

On searching further, a small vessel (fig. 3) of very unusual fashion, and fabricated with considerable skill, was found placed within the larger urn. Both contained ashes, portions of incinerated bones with sand, of which some part had probably fallen into the cavity when the top stone was removed. The smaller urn was placed in the centre, upon a flat stone; and the exterior urn had been carefully protected all around by a little wall, so to describe it, of pieces of shingle set edgeways, about

six or eight inches in height, and serving to protect the deposit from the pressure of the surrounding soil. The inverted mouth of this larger urn, indeed, was so firmly embedded and fixed in this manner, that it proved im

Fig. 3.-Urn enclosed within the larger Vessel. Height, three inches.

practicable to extricate it without breaking the vessel into pieces. It seems to have been of unusually large size; the diameter at the mouth must have measured

C.J.T.

A.WAY

Fig. 4. The larger Urn, restored, and small Urn found within it; shewing the
supposed proportions of the pair. Scale, one-sixth original size.

nearly thirteen inches; the height cannot now be ascertained. The smaller urn, which is of lighter brown.

colour, and of compact and well formed ware, measures four inches and five-eighths in diameter at the mouth; its height is three inches; the diameter of the base one inch and three quarters. It is marked over the entire surface, as is also the interior of the lip, by lines closely scored or impressed with a fine edged implement, and forming a succession of zigzag bands. The contour of the form is of very unusual and not inelegant character. This urn, as it is stated, was not inverted. It may possibly be regarded as a rare variety of the "food-vessel," and cited as a specimen of the third class of sepulchral urns, according to the general classification that has been suggested. In the woodcut (fig. 4) the proportion of the two urns respectively is shewn, as nearly as it can be ascertained by careful examination of the fragments of the larger urn.

A second similar deposit was brought to light, adjacent to that which has been described within the cist. The larger urn had become quite decayed, and had crumbled into black dust. Within it had been placed a small vessel of more diminutive size than the little, highly ornamented urn in the other interment. It is quite plain, without any impressed or scored decoration. This vessel, which likewise contained ashes, was fortunately preserved. It measures, in height, two inches and five-eighths; diameter of the mouth, two inches and a half; of the widest part, three inches and a half; of the base, one inch and five-eighths. (See woodcut, fig. 5.)

Fig. 5.-Small Cinerary Urn, second deposit. Height, two inches and five-eighths.

A little cup found in Wiltshire, very similar in form, is figured by Sir R. C. Hoare.1

A few feet to the west of these remains a rudely formed cist or grave was found, placed nearly east and west. It was constructed with slabs set edgeways, and covered by a fifth slab of large size. This depository bore some resemblance to the graves at Towyn-y-Capel, to the south of Porth Dafarch, described on a former occasion. No bones or remains of any kind were found, as it was stated, in this cist. Dry sand appeared covering its floor. There were some traces of fire and ashes; and it was even supposed that this cist might have served as an ustrinum, in which the corpses might have been burned. Careful examination of the spot having been subsequently made, a considerable quantity of bones were found scattered around. As, however, no one witnessed the first discovery, except the agricultural labourers, and the mound was afterwards disturbed by persons in quest of treasure, on the report of the finding of the interments, it is unfortunately impossible to determine to which deposit those dispersed remains should be assigned, or whether there may not have been evidence of an interment of an unburnt body as well as of cremation. Many large stones, it should be observed, lay in the sand around: they may have formed a cairn, or possibly a rude kistvaen, that had become denuded of the earth which covered it, so that the stone covering the urn was nearly exposed. There was also a larger slab, which may have been an upright stone or maenhir. The mound was covered with green sward before the excavation. In former ages the sea had probably reached to within a hundred yards, or upwards, of this tumulus; but there had been a gradual encroachment, and the waves now wash its base. The general appearance of the spot, and the position of the mound, are shewn in the view that accompanies this notice. (See fig. 1 ante.)

The supposition which the appearance of the two urns first described suggested was that the mound might have covered the remains of a mother and her infant; this

1 See the memoir on the tumular cemetery at Towyn-y-Capel, by the Hon. W. O. Stanley, Archæol. Journal, vol. iii, p. 226.