The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . eer, withthe skeleton of his horse, Avas made in the year , in the neigh-bourhood of Ballindalloch, a small post-town in the county of is thus communicated in a letter to the secretary of the Society ofAntiquaries of Scotland:— A labourer in digging for moor-stoneshere, a few weeks since, on a moor about a mile from Ballindalloch,found at a depth of above a foot from the surface, a quantity ofbones, among which appear to have been a human skeleton, and alsothe skull and bones of a horse. The whole had been covered up, tomy grea
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . eer, withthe skeleton of his horse, Avas made in the year , in the neigh-bourhood of Ballindalloch, a small post-town in the county of is thus communicated in a letter to the secretary of the Society ofAntiquaries of Scotland:— A labourer in digging for moor-stoneshere, a few weeks since, on a moor about a mile from Ballindalloch,found at a depth of above a foot from the surface, a quantity ofbones, among which appear to have been a human skeleton, and alsothe skull and bones of a horse. The whole had been covered up, tomy great regret, before I heard of it; but the labourer tells me thatthere were a quantity of rings and bits of iron, one of them like agreat hoop: but all completely rusted. I have been fortunate enoughto get hold of what I take to be the bridle [bit] of the horse, twobronze rings, joined by a double link of iron, and also some bronzerings which may have belonged to its harness, There were also some Owens British Fossil Mamnidlia, p. 385. Ibid. p. OF THE IRON PEKlOl). 457 bits of wood, oak I find it to bo from a fragment I have; but it wasall too much decayed to tell what it had been.^ The letter isaccompanied with a sketch of what is described as a curious littleiron cup found in the grave. It is shewnin the annexed woodcut, and will be atonce recognised by the archaeologist asthe umbo which formed the centre of theshield, and received and protected the handof its wearer. The fragments of oak foundalong with it may have also included partof the shield, as well as portions of the war-chariot. Scarcely a doubt can be entertained that in this discoverywe have one of the rare examples of the tomb of a British chief, withhis arms and his chariot and steed laid beside him,—a piece of wildbarbarian pomp which puts all the modern boast of heraldry toshame. A bridle-bit in the Museum of the Scottish Antiquaries,which answers closely to the above description, was found
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidarchaeologyp, bookyear1851
