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but smaller design in pottery, upon a Roman earthen vessel, lately
found near the Folkestone Road at Dover, and now in the Museum there.
The pottery from Sarr was not remarkable, if we except the
two beer-jug-shaped vessels, with lips and handles, from graves CLVII. and
CLXVIII., and the very elegant black earthen vase from grave LXX.
The proportion of clasp ornarnents, or fibulae was small. The
circular fibula found by Mr. Matson, the fine cruciform fibula from grave
CLIX., and the archaic ornament from the narrow grave CXXVI. are, with the
gold-plated buckle from grave LXVIII, perhaps all that deserve special
mention.
The bone counters or draughtsmen., from graves VI. and
CXCVIII., and the two dice which accompanied those from the latter, are
notable as illustrating that wonderful passion for gaming which Tacitus
mentions as prevalent amongst the Teutonic tribes.1
The state of the human bones exhibited much variety. In some
instances the skeleton was preserved entire,
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down to the smallest bones of the toes and fingers. In others scarcely a trace
was apparent, beyond, perhaps, a few teeth, a fragment of the jaw-bone, or
parts of the femora. On the whole, perhaps, the bones of old, persons were
best preserved; the tender bones of children rarely remained. I never found
a child’s skull; yet the crania of adults had been generally amongst the
last bones to perish, although the part resting on the floor of the grave
was almost always decayed.2 Bodily health
1 "Aleam, quod mirere, sobrii inter
seria exercent tanta lucrandi perdendive temeritate, ut, cum omnia
defecerunt, extremo ac novissimo jactu de libertate et de corpore
contendant."—De
Mor. Germ. sect. Xxiv.
2 M. Delasse is of opinion that the azote in bones varies
with their antiquity, assigning about thirty per cent. of this substance to
bones buried a century since, twenty-two per cent. to those of the era of
Julius Caesar, and eighteen per cent. to very ancient bones. (See Lyell’s
‘Antiquity of Man.’) Various causes, however, contribute to disturb this
calculation, and small reliance can be placed upon it, The state of
preservation
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