The 30th of June 1843 was occupied in examining the middle part of a large barrow on Brassington Moor, usually called Galley Lowe [Map], but formerly written Callidge Lowe, which is probably more correct. About two feet from the surface were found a few human bones mixed with rats' bones and horses' teeth; amongst these bones (which had been disturbed by a labourer digging in search of treasure) the following highly interesting and valuable articles were discovered: several pieces of iron, some in the form of rivets, others quite shapeless, having been broken on the occasion above referred to, two arrow-heads of the same metal, a piece of coarse sandstone, which was rubbed into the form of a whetstone; an ivory pin or bodkin, of very neat execution; the fragments of a large urn of well-baked earthenware, which was glazed in the interior for about an inch above the bottom; two beads, one of green glass, the other of white enamel, with a coil of blue running through it, and fourteen beautiful pendant ornaments of pure, gold, eleven of which are encircled by settings of large and brilliantly coloured garnets, two are of gold without setting, and the remaining one is of gold wire twisted in a spiral manner, from the centre towards each extremity (a gold loop of identical pattern is affixed to a barbaric copy of a gold coin of Honorius in the writer's possession); they have evidently been intended to form one ornament only, most probably a necklace, for which use their form peculiarly adapts them. It will here not be out of place to borrow some quotations relative to a remarkable superstition connected with glass beads similar to those discovered in Galley Lowe, particularly the one having "two circular lines of opaque sky-blue and white," which seem to represent a serpent entwined round a centre, which is perforated. "This was certainly one of the Glain Neidyr of the Britons, derived from glain, which is pure and holy, and neidyr, a snake. Under the word glain, Mr. Owen, in his Welsh Dictionary, has given the following article: "The Nair Glain, transparent stones, or adder stones, were worn by the different orders of the Bards, each exhibiting its appropriate colour. There is no certainty that they were worn from superstition originally; perhaps that was the circumstance which gave rise to it. Whatever might have been the cause, the notion of their rare virtues was universal in all places where the Bardic religion was taught."

These beads are thus noticed by Bishop Gibson, in his improved edition of Camden's Britannia: "In most parts of Wales, and throughout all Scotland, and in Cornwall, we find it a common opinion of the vulgar, that about Midsummer-eve (though in the time they do not all agree) it is usual for snakes to meet in companies, and that by joining heads together and hissing, a kind of bubble is formed, like a ring, about the head of one of them, which the rest, by continual hissing, blow on, until it comes off at the tail, when it immediately hardens, and resembles a glass ring, which whoever finds shall prosper in all his undertakings: the rings they supposed to be thus generated are called gleinen nadroeth, namely, gemma anguinum. They are small glass annulets, commonly about half as wide as our finger-rings, but much thicker, of a green colour usually, though some of them are blue, and others curiously waved with blue, red, and white.'' There seems to be some connexion between the glain neidyr of the Britons and the ovum anguinnm, mentioned by Pliny as being held in veneration by the Druids of Gaul and to the formation of which he gives nearly the same origin. They were probably worn as a mark of distinction, and suspended round the neck as the perforations are not large enough to admit the finger. A large portion of this barrow still remaining untouched on the south-east side, which was but little elevated above the natural soil, yet extending farther from the centre, it offered a larger area, in which interments were more likely to be found than any other part of the tumulus, it was decided on resuming the search on the 3d of July, 1843, by digging from the outside until the former excavation in the centre was reached. In carrying out this design the following interments were discovered, all of which seem to pertain to a much more remote era than the interment whose discovery has been before recorded. First, the skeleton of a child, in a state of great decay; a little farther on a lengthy skeleton, the femur of which measures nineteen and a half inches, with a rudely ornamented urn of coarse clay deposited near the head; a small article of ivory, perforated with six holes, as though for the purpose of being sewn into some article of dress or ornament (a larger one of the same kind was found in a barrow at Gristhorpe, near Scarborough, in 1832); a small arrow-head of gray flint, a piece of iron-stone, and a piece of stag's horn, artificially pointed at the thicker end, were found in the immediate neighbourhood of the urn. Between this skeleton and the centre of the barrow four more skeletons were exhumed, two of which were of young persons; there was no mode of arrangement perceptible in the positions of the bodies, excepting that the heads seemed to lie nearest to the urn before mentioned. Amongst the bones of these four skeletons a small rude incense cup was found, which is of rather unusual form, being perforated with two holes on each side, opposite each other.

In a plantation on the summit of Minninglowe Hill [Map] are two tumuli of large size, one being near fifteen feet high from the level of the ground. In the centre and in four places in the area of the circle are large cists, or, as they now appear from the soil being removed from them, large cromlechs, exactly of the same construction as that well-known druidical structure "Kit's-Coty-House [Map]" near Maidstone, Kent. They are formed of the large limestones of the country and have all had covers of the same only two of which now remain in their places. The other tumulus is of smaller dimensions and contains but one cist which is in the centre; it is situated about thirty yards distance from the larger one. The soil in the interior of the cists of the large barrow was removed down to the surface of the rock on the 5th of July 1843 when it was found that all the interments had been before removed, with the exception of one which was a skeleton laid at full length on the outside of the cist, unaccompanied by any weapons or ornaments. In the cell near which this body lay were found fragments of five urns, some animal bones, and six third brass Roman coins, namely, one of Claudius Gothicus, two of Constantine the Great, two of Constantine Junior, and one of Valentinian. An attempt to penetrate the substance of the mound was then made, which from want of time proved ineffectual. A few human teeth and a third brass coin of Constantine were the only relics found in this part of the excavation; but a far more interesting discovery was made of the manner in which this huge tumulus was built, a wall being found to encircle it in a manner precisely similar to the walls built round some of the Etruscan tumuli discovered in the south of Italy. In one part of this wall, which was exposed by the excavation, a gallery formed of stones set up edgeways, with others across the top of them, was found to have its commencement. This was not explored, owing to the roofing-stones having fallen in in some places. There is a striking analogy between this tumulus and the great barrow at New Grange [Map], in Ireland, described by Dr. Ledwich, of which a more complete investigation of Minning Lowe would probably furnish additional proof. The following day was selected to be the time for extending the researches of the smaller barrow, the cist of which, as well as those of the larger one, was found to have been previously rifled of its treasures, a few human teeth being the only traces of the interment at this time found. Continuing the cutting through the entire mound, a simple deposit of burnt human bones was found, near one side, which had not been before disturbed.

July 14th, 1843, one of the most interesting barrows ever examined in this vicinity was opened. It is situated upon a ridge of high land, near the village of Biggin, which goes by the name of the "Liffs [Map]," the barrow itself having no specific name: the mound had been sadly mutilated, at least one third of it having been removed; notwithstanding this the truth of Sir Richard Hoare's maxim, "fronta nulla fides," was agreeably exemplified. That hemisphere of the circle which still remained the most perfect was selected as the place where to commence operations: on reaching the thickest part of the circle, which, owing to the depression usual in the middle of most barrows, would be about two yards from the centre, a few human bones, horses' teeth, various animal bones, and two small pieces of a very thick and coarse urn, were found; but not until penetrating to the heart of the barrow was the principal interment discovered. In that situation an octagonal cist was erected of the usual material, namely, thin flat lime-stones, which are admirably adapted for the purpose; this vault was about half filled with stiff clay, imbedded in which lay a fine human skeleton, whose knees were drawn up, according to a general custom, prevalent in the most remote ages. The extreme antiquity of this interment is demonstrated by the simple form and material of the weapons and tools which were, with one exception, deposited in a cluster behind the shoulders of this early denizen of the Derbyshire moors. The skull, which is fine and intellectual, lay on the left side so as to look towards the west, and in the angle formed by the contraction of the knees, was placed a hammer-head ingeniously constructed out of the lower part of the horn of a noble red deer; one end of this instrument is rounded and polished, the other is cut into a diamond pattern, somewhat similar to the wafer stamps used by attorneys. The articles before alluded to as being placed near the shoulders were of a very miscellaneous character, and highly interesting; as showing, after a lapse of several thousand years, that the savage Briton reposing in this cairn had cultivated the art of making war amongst the inhabitants of the forest, in preference to molesting his fellow-savages; as almost the first observed articles were a pair of enormous tusks of the wild boar, the trophies of some, perhaps his last, sylvan triumph; next came two arrow-heads of flint, delicately chipped, and of unusual form; two flint celts or chisels, beautifully chipped and polished at the cutting edges; two spear-heads of the same material; two flint knives polished on the edge, one of them serrated on the back, in order to serve as a saw; and numerous other pieces of flints of indescribable form and use, which, together with all the flint instruments enumerated above, seem to have undergone a partial calcination being gray tinted with various shades of blue and pink; with these utensils were found three pieces of red ochre, the rouge of these unsophisticated huntsmen which, even now, on being wetted imparts a bright red colour to the skin, which is by no means easy to discharge. Upon the summit of the little heap, formed by this accumulation of relics, lay a small drinking or incense cup of novel and unprecedented shape, which was unfortunately broken and crushed, but has been since restored. The absence of instruments of metal in this and other barrows should be borne in mind; it is commented on in another part of this work.

August the 5th 1843 was opened a barrow called Elk Lowe [Map] (quere Ell? that being the ancient British word signifying conspicuous) situate on a considerable eminence near Newhaven. It is of the form which Dr. Stukeley assigns to Druids' barrows without any substantial grounds. The only point in which this kind of tumulus differs from the general form being in the central depression which in this case is so much extended as to spread out into a level and circular area surrounded by a more elevated ring or rampire of earth or stones. In the barrow in question this circle was constructed of very large stones inclining towards the central plain, and covered with small stones and earth, thus forming an extremely durable erection to the height of about three feet, whilst the interior area is not more than one foot above the level of the surrounding soil. In the centre of this space, upon a stratum of stiff clay, was laid a skeleton, whose head rested upon a large limestone. This clay, appearing to replace soil (which had been removed for about a foot in depth below the natural surface), was dug out and carefully examined, and from amongst it were taken a large flint arrow- or lance-head, three other instruments of the same material, and a small piece of sandstone, rubbed smooth. These articles were immediately beneath the skeleton, on whose right hand lay a deposit of burnt human bones, containing an arrow-head of flint, also calcined, and a considerable quantity of charcoal, amongst which were several hazel-nuts, still retaining their perfect form. In other parts of the area, the remains of two more skeletons and some fragments of a large urn, composed of imperfectly baked clay, profusely ornamented, were found. A few dogs' teeth were also observed. The most remarkable circumstance attending the opening of this barrow was the discovery of rats' bones in an unprecedented quantity the whole of the interior circle of the area being covered with a stratum of them not less than three inches in thickness.

About the close of the last or the commencement of the present century, a very large barrow, situated upon Brassington Moor, and now called Stoney Lowe [Map], though sometimes written Stanhope Lowe, was removed, in order that its time-honoured materials might assist in Macadamising some lanes or roads in the immediate neighbourhood. In the course of this work of destruction a large cist was discovered, in which lay three human skeletons, ranged side by side, one of which is said to have had one half of its skull clothed with hair. In another part of this barrow an urn was found, and taken out only to be broken to pieces. On attentively surveying the site of this noble tumulus, which, previous to its demolition, was connected with a small cirque of stones adjoining to it, and destroyed at the same time, the edges of several large stones, placed in a cist-like form, and appearing above the turf, suggested an idea, that, by digging into the interior of these vaults, something might yet be recovered. This was put to the proof on the 8th of August, 1843, and produced the following results: the first vault was a square of about three yards, and contained earth and stones for about a foot in depth, which was indeed the entire depth of the vault itself when cleared out. These debris were minutely scrutinised, and were found to contain the following remains, all in the utmost disorder: no less than 161 human teeth, a large quantity of human bones, a small piece of an urn, various kinds of animals bones and rats bones in abundance. The second vault was of more irregular form, but was very similar to the first in the confusion visible amongst its contents, which were the remains of two human skeletons, apparently of females, with which a delicately-formed arrow-head was found, which, as is frequently the case, had been calcined. The number of interments originally deposited in this tumulus must have been enormous, as the teeth before mentioned vary from those of very juvenile subjects to those of persons of very advanced age, some of the latter are worn almost to a level with the jaw, and yet do not exhibit the least symptom of decay.

Saturday the 9th of September 1843 a remarkable barrow at Cross Lowe [Map], near Parwich [Map], was opened. It had every appearance of being a small tumulus about three feet in height; but was found to have been constructed above a depression in the rock, about two feet deep, thus increasing the height of the artificial structure to five feet. It was thought that the most effectual way of opening this barrow was to begin a cutting on both the north and south sides, and thus to meet in the middle; this was done with the following interesting results: on the north side a secondary deposit was founds about eighteen inches below the surface of the mound; it was the skeleton of a young person, and was accompanied by a small urn, much ornamented, and a bone pin. On the south side the floor was found to decline rapidly towards the centre, on approaching which a very rude cist was discovered, formed of stones set edgeways upon the solid rock, which supplied the bottom of the cist, on which lay a large and strong human skeleton, with the head towards the south-east; about a foot from the head was placed a coarse urn, sparingly ornamented. Besides these the cist contained a large quantity of rats' bones, one horse's tooth, the fragment of a celt, and a small piece of chipped flint; and at the feet of the skeleton lay a large heap of calcined human bones, which on examination proved to be the remains of two children; near them a curiously-shaped and neatly-ornamented urn was deposited. On removing a large stone, which formed that side of the cist approximating to the centre of the barrow, another skeleton was uncovered, which was that of a young person, accompanied by a small urn, or incense cup, which was placed at the head. The occurrence of this interment on the exterior of the cist caused a careful examination of the surrounding parts in the immediate neighbourhood of the principal interment, which led to the discovery of four more human skeletons, upon the same level, and to all appearance deposited there at the same time as the body within the cist. Near the surface of the tumulus another skeleton was disinterred, which was accidentally discovered by part of the skull falling down, owing to the ground being undercut, for the purpose of following up the traces of some of the other skeletons. It was not accompanied by relics of any description.