The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . ose which have been previously considered ; but also we mayassume, from increasing civilisation having limited the sepulchralhonours of the cairn, or the huge barrow, with its costly deposits, toa very few of the most distinguished chiefs. This latter conclusionreceives ample confirmation from many cists found witliout anysuperincumbent heap, the contents of which, tliough of little moment,frequently suffice to connect them with the age of iron. To thosetombs of this period, already referred to in previous chapters, one ortwo additional exam
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . ose which have been previously considered ; but also we mayassume, from increasing civilisation having limited the sepulchralhonours of the cairn, or the huge barrow, with its costly deposits, toa very few of the most distinguished chiefs. This latter conclusionreceives ample confirmation from many cists found witliout anysuperincumbent heap, the contents of which, tliough of little moment,frequently suffice to connect them with the age of iron. To thosetombs of this period, already referred to in previous chapters, one ortwo additional examples of special interest, however, remain still tobe added. Lieutenant-Colonel Miller thus describes a discovery madeon his estate of Urquhart, Fifeshire, in the autumn of 1832 :— Intrenching the ground within about three hundred yards of Melford,on the Eden, I came upon the remains of two cairns, adjoining whichwas dug up a spear-head. It was under the root of a tree about anhundred years old, about three feet under the surface, and is tlie only. 45i THE TEUTONIC OR IKON PERIOD. one of iron that I have met with. The spear-head, which is figuredhere, measures, in its present imperfect state, only six and a halfinches long. The Colonel also describes a dagger, which had ve)-ymuch the appearance of a breakfast knife, .^^^v^ l)ut was completelyoxidized. There wasdug up along withthese a small vase,quite entire when found, and in form somewhat resembling a tea-cup, but which was care-lessly left on the ground, and broken in the course of subsequent opera-tions. Besides this, several pieces of pottery were met with, one of thethickest of which was strongly vitrified, and also a bronze fibula, anda considerable quantity of bones and ashes.^ In another caira, calledGaskhill, near the village of Collessie, in the same county, there wasdiscovered, a few years since, an iron sword, now preserved at KinlochHouse. Though greatly corroded, its original form is still sufficientlydistinguis
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